New Oil Tanker Delivered to Iraq

The Iraqi Ministry of Oil has announced the delivery of a new oil tanker named "Sumer." The Director-General of the Iraqi Oil Tankers Company (IOTC) emphasized the ministry's commitment to expanding the national fleet through new contracts with global specialized firms.

Mr. Ali Qais said the technical team and the designated committee received the new tanker in China on 29 August 2023. It has a capacity of 31,000 tons, and the final inspection processes have been completed. The ship is now en route from China to Iraq, and is expected to be officially launched in September.

IOTC signed a contract with a Norwegian firm in 2020 to construct two tankers, each with a capacity of 31,000 tons. According to a the statement from the Ministry, this initiative aims to bolster the company's fleet for transporting crude oil and oil derivatives, alongside the existing Baghdad, Shatt al-Arab, Tigris, and Euphrates tankers.

However, in August 2020, Iraq Business News Expert Blogger, Ahmed Mousa Jiyad, demanded an investigation into Iraq's reported contract to buy tankers from Norway's Batservice Mandal [Batservice Mandal AS].