New Oil Tanker Joins Iraqi Fleet

Iraq's Oil Minister, Hayan Abdul Ghani, has participated in the inauguration of the new oil tanker "Sumer" at Khor al-Zubair port in Basra. Abdul Ghani stressed the ministry's keenness to build a new oil tanker fleet through contracts with reputable international companies to build modern tankers of different capacities. The "Sumer" tanker has a capacity of 200,000 barrels and is one of two tankers contracted with a Norwegian company. The second tanker, the "Aked", is expected to arrive at the port in the near future.

The Undersecretary of the Ministry of Oil for Distribution, Ali Maaraj, praised the national effort and achievements made by the oil sector after 2003, and its contribution to increasing production and exports, and achieving financial revenues for the state treasury, pointing out the importance of the licensing rounds that contributed to adding three million barrels to national production, and achieving financial revenues exceeding US$900 billion. While the Director General of the Iraqi Oil Tankers Company (IOTC), Ali Qais, confirmed the ministry's and the minister's support for building a new fleet for the Iraqi Oil Tankers Company by strengthening the company's balance of oil tankers, which were damaged by wars.