Ras Markaz terminal exports 17 million tonnes of petroleum derivatives
MUSCAT: Oman Tank Terminal Company (OTTCO) has successfully handled 491 vessels through its Ras Markaz terminal in the Special Economic Zone at Duqm (SEZD) since its launch in 2023 until the end of April 2025. OTTCO imported more than 950 million barrels of crude oil and exported nearly 17 million metric tons of petroleum products.
Eng Salem bin Marhoon Al Hashmi, CEO of OTTCO, emphasized the Sultanate of Oman’s readiness to become a global hub for energy logistics. These achievements are the result of the company’s commitment to the highest standards of safety and operational excellence, which reinforces its role as a key hub in ensuring energy security for the Sultanate of Oman and regional and international markets, based on its strategic location that connects the Sultanate of Oman to maritime shipping lines in the Indian Ocean, reaching markets in Asia, Africa, and Europe.
In a statement to the Oman News Agency, he said that the current storage services meet the needs of the local market, which is driving the focus on growth in global storage operations. He explained that the company signed a strategic agreement with the Dutch company “Vopak”, one of the world’s leading companies in the field of storage, to transform Duqm into a global center for attracting storage operations. This is in line with the OQ Group’s plan to establish a company specializing in the storage and handling of particles.
He added that this partnership contributes to connecting the company to global markets, localizing international best practices, enhancing the capabilities of Omani talent in the energy logistics sector, and strengthening the company’s sustainability identity by supporting ammonia and green hydrogen storage and handling projects, in line with the global trend toward clean energy.
He pointed out that the company’s operations focus on the transition to clean energy, particularly in the areas of green ammonia storage and export. Several preliminary studies have been completed to establish an advanced infrastructure for storing, handling, and exporting green ammonia. The company is also working to develop a shared smart infrastructure for storage services and establish global partnerships that will enable the exchange of expertise and enhance development efforts, in line with the Sultanate of Oman’s vision to become a leading regional hub for clean energy exports.
The Ras Markaz terminal currently serves the Duqm Refinery via an 80-kilometer pipeline, transporting crude oil from Ras Markaz to the refinery. The oil storage facilities include eight large oil storage tanks, floating platforms for importing and exporting oil, seven kilometers of subsea pipelines for receiving and exporting oil, and a station for pumping oil into the tanks. In addition, the terminal houses control rooms, administrative offices, and other facilities related to security and safety equipment. The technical specifications of the terminal enable it to blend different types of crude oil and load and unload ships in record times.
The terminal aims to store all types of crude oil in large quantities outside the Strait of Hormuz, allowing international companies to store their oil at the terminal for any period. The terminal covers an area of 40 square kilometers and can store approximately 200 million barrels of oil.
Source: ONA
Date: 24 May 2025
