Qatar Fuel to expand bunker supply storage facility
Qatar Fuel (WOQOD) is gearing up for expansion centred around a bunker supply storage facility in Ras Laffan, a port which is home to one of the largest LNG export facilities in the world.
With the rapid growth in Qatar's maritime activities associated with the development of shipping activities supporting LNG exports, WOQOD identified bunker supply for gas ships as an important support function and business opportunity.
The company has been supplying bunkers by barge in Qatar for the past two years, and currently has three barges able to offer marine fuels at Ras Laffan port and anchorage, as well as at Doha.
WOQOD will continue to distribute bunkers throughout Qatar, but particularly at Ras Laffan, where it has built a dedicated bunker supply storage facility capable of delivering 4 million metric tonnes (mt) of bunker fuel annually.
With some 100 over ships forecast to call a month, with stems of up to approximately 5,000 mt for the larger ships, WOQOD is looking at significant volumes, according to a press release.
WOQOD first announced the construction of a bunkering unit at the port of Ras Laffan in April 2005.
The new bunkering facility will soon be able to supply bunker fuel ex-wharf directly to ships, possibly from mid-May.
A source at the company told Bunkerworld today that all the pipelines have been laid for the ex-pipe bunkering facility at Ras Laffan, and that it should be ready for commissioning pending final technical test and safety procedures.
The company has chosen to put particular focus on quality, with an announcement today that WOQOD has completed a Quality Management Bunker Fuel Supply Chain project in collaboration with the Lloyd’s Register Group.
WOQOD chose Lloyd's Register's fuel oil bunker analysis and advisory service (FOBAS) to help ensure that its bunkering practices are properly managed and documented. The FOBAS consultancy process took eight months and was led by Douglas Raitt, Global FOBAS Manager. The system has been implemented and running in all of WOQOD's bunker supply processes for two to three months.
"Working with Lloyd's Register FOBAS has been vital in helping assure this critical supply chain remains free flowing. The delivery of bunkers at specified quality levels is safety and business critical every time," commented Mohammed T. Al Sobai, Vice-Chairman and Managing Director of WOQOD.
Nayef Saeed Al-Hajiri, WOQOD Quality Management Representative added: "The current global, bunker fuel oil demand for ships amounts to approximately 340 - 350 million metric tonnes - that's a lot of bunkers. Forecasted growth for bunker-fuel demand is anticipated to rise by one-third between now and 2020, placing ever increasing importance on quality supplies and safe, efficient operations."
"With the WOQOD Quality Management System for Bunker Supply Chain (WQMBS) now in place, WOQOD can assure customers that we are able to meet their needs for timely and safe delivery of the required level of quality in the right place," added Al-Hajiri.
The company currently supplies 380 centistoke (cst) and 180 cst fuel oil, as well as marine gas oil (MGO) to ships by barge. The ex-pipe facility at Ras Laffan will supply only 380 cst product, the company source explained to Bunkerworld.
The fuel oil is generally straight-run product sourced from refineries in the Gulf region.
With the rapid growth in Qatar's maritime activities associated with the development of shipping activities supporting LNG exports, WOQOD identified bunker supply for gas ships as an important support function and business opportunity.
The company has been supplying bunkers by barge in Qatar for the past two years, and currently has three barges able to offer marine fuels at Ras Laffan port and anchorage, as well as at Doha.
WOQOD will continue to distribute bunkers throughout Qatar, but particularly at Ras Laffan, where it has built a dedicated bunker supply storage facility capable of delivering 4 million metric tonnes (mt) of bunker fuel annually.
With some 100 over ships forecast to call a month, with stems of up to approximately 5,000 mt for the larger ships, WOQOD is looking at significant volumes, according to a press release.
WOQOD first announced the construction of a bunkering unit at the port of Ras Laffan in April 2005.
The new bunkering facility will soon be able to supply bunker fuel ex-wharf directly to ships, possibly from mid-May.
A source at the company told Bunkerworld today that all the pipelines have been laid for the ex-pipe bunkering facility at Ras Laffan, and that it should be ready for commissioning pending final technical test and safety procedures.
The company has chosen to put particular focus on quality, with an announcement today that WOQOD has completed a Quality Management Bunker Fuel Supply Chain project in collaboration with the Lloyd’s Register Group.
WOQOD chose Lloyd's Register's fuel oil bunker analysis and advisory service (FOBAS) to help ensure that its bunkering practices are properly managed and documented. The FOBAS consultancy process took eight months and was led by Douglas Raitt, Global FOBAS Manager. The system has been implemented and running in all of WOQOD's bunker supply processes for two to three months.
"Working with Lloyd's Register FOBAS has been vital in helping assure this critical supply chain remains free flowing. The delivery of bunkers at specified quality levels is safety and business critical every time," commented Mohammed T. Al Sobai, Vice-Chairman and Managing Director of WOQOD.
Nayef Saeed Al-Hajiri, WOQOD Quality Management Representative added: "The current global, bunker fuel oil demand for ships amounts to approximately 340 - 350 million metric tonnes - that's a lot of bunkers. Forecasted growth for bunker-fuel demand is anticipated to rise by one-third between now and 2020, placing ever increasing importance on quality supplies and safe, efficient operations."
"With the WOQOD Quality Management System for Bunker Supply Chain (WQMBS) now in place, WOQOD can assure customers that we are able to meet their needs for timely and safe delivery of the required level of quality in the right place," added Al-Hajiri.
The company currently supplies 380 centistoke (cst) and 180 cst fuel oil, as well as marine gas oil (MGO) to ships by barge. The ex-pipe facility at Ras Laffan will supply only 380 cst product, the company source explained to Bunkerworld.
The fuel oil is generally straight-run product sourced from refineries in the Gulf region.