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Oman Oil Marketing Company launches Duqm bunker fuel terminal

Photo: OCOMO Omani officials launch tthe OOMCO Marine bunker fuel terminal at Duqm
OOMCO Marine, the bunkering arm of Oman Oil Marketing Company SAOG (OOMCO), has officially launched a new bunker terminal at Duqm Port.

“Located in the Duqm Special Economic Zone (SEZAD), the OOMCO Marine bunker fuel terminal will supply the full range of bunker fuel to ships at the port and port anchorage, which promises to further position Oman as a world-class logistics and shipping hub,” the company said.

The terminal will cater to increasing demand for high-quality and sustainable marine fuels, including the highest specification HSFO, VLSFO and LSMGO marine fuel compliant with International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 8217, as well as all low sulphur fuel-compliant marine fuels which meet the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) decarbonisation targets.

“Inaugurating the OOMCO Marine bunker fuel terminal at the Port of Duqm further strengthens the position of Oman as a world-class logistics and shipping hub, which is aligned with the objectives laid out in Oman’s Vision 2040,” Hilal Al Kharusi, Chairman of OOMCO, said. “Our now fully operational terminal contributes to economic growth and diversification in Oman, while capitalising on its strategic position near established global trade routes.”

Duqm cannot challenge the geostrategic location of the international bunkering hub at Fujairah in the UAE, but is better placed to service vessels heading from Colombo to Suez. Middle East-based feeder specialists told Seatrade last year that around half of the container line vessels serving the Far East to Europe call the Persian Gulf, while, according to the US-based Strauss Center, some 20 to 30 percent of the world's oil passes through the Strait of Hormuz every day.

Listen to a recent episode of the Seatrade Maritime Podcast on bunker optimisation 

In the past decade, Fujairah has come to be regarded as one of the world’s top three bunkering ports. In March, S&P Global reported that it faced growing bunkering competition as the Saudis, Qatar, and Oman entered the fray with bunkering options of their own. “The competition will be welcome to shipowners who are facing increased costs in the region,” it said.

“The OOMCO Marine fuel terminal and associated bunker business forms part of our long-term strategy as a company to facilitate the growth of multiple sectors in Oman including shipping, logistics and of course energy and their respective infrastructure,” OOMCO CEO, Tarik Al Junaidi, said.

“For example, efficient shipping means access to raw materials needed for economic development, and enables the manufacturing and export of goods and products, while of course considering that shipping incurs the lowest environmental footprint in the transport segment on a per-ton basis. As for logistics, this is a prime sector for Oman and we are at the heart of this focus when it comes to providing ships bunker fuel supply at Duqm in the most cost effective and efficient way.”

Vessels calling at Duqm can also take advantage of a range of other high-quality and diverse services at the port, including pilotage, freshwater supply, waste collection, tug services, crew change, de-slopping services, and ship handling, plus ship spares and dry dock services, OOMCO said.