Iraq will purchase three commercial cargo ships of 50,000 tons each in order to develop the country’s merchant navy.The General Company for Maritime Transport said, the Ministry of Transport decided to buy the ships in China, AK News reports.
“The ships are under construction and they will meet the newest standards in terms of speed, design and cargo,” said Karkhi Samir, general director of the company.
Iraq’s merchant navy is almost non-existent. Currently, only one ship, the “Nasser” is at sea for Iraq. The once 14 ships Iraq purchased in the 1950ies were either destroyed or seized during the First and Second Gulf War or in the course of the UN sanctions on Iraq after 1991.
The Ministry of Transport decided to rebuild the merchant navy in order to keep up with the country’s economic boom, as well as with the country’s plans to export more oil. Iraq plans to increase its oil production from 2.7 million barrels of oil per day (bopd) to 12 million bopd in 2016.
“The ships are under construction and they will meet the newest standards in terms of speed, design and cargo,” said Karkhi Samir, general director of the company.
Iraq’s merchant navy is almost non-existent. Currently, only one ship, the “Nasser” is at sea for Iraq. The once 14 ships Iraq purchased in the 1950ies were either destroyed or seized during the First and Second Gulf War or in the course of the UN sanctions on Iraq after 1991.
The Ministry of Transport decided to rebuild the merchant navy in order to keep up with the country’s economic boom, as well as with the country’s plans to export more oil. Iraq plans to increase its oil production from 2.7 million barrels of oil per day (bopd) to 12 million bopd in 2016.