|
Jordan Petroleum Refinery , the country's sole refinery, is seeking 830,000 tonnes of oil products for delivery from September to December, trade sources said. A series of attacks on a pipeline running through Egypt, Israel and Jordan disrupted gas supply to the countries, forcing them to turn to oil products such as gasoil which are often used to fuel back-up power generators.
The refiner is seeking 500,000 tonnes of 0.5 per cent sulphur gasoil, 210,000 tonnes of 3.5 per cent sulphur fuel oil and 120,000 tonnes of 95-octane gasoline in a tender that is expected to be officially floated later on Wednesday, one of the traders said.
The tender will close on 31 July, with offers to stay valid for 10 days.
The delivery period could extend to March if gas deliveries from Egypt are approved, a Jordan-based industry source said.
Jordan's crude oil and petroleum products import bill in the first quarter of the year surged 63.7 percent from the same period last year to 1.81 billion dinars ($2.55bn).
Energy imports were almost 35.8 per cent of total imports, the data showed.
The burden of imported fuel costs has risen after the loss of regular cheap Egyptian gas supplies that previously covered nearly 80 per cent of Jordan's electricity generation. That forced the authorities to switch to more expensive fuel oil to run power plants.
Jordan invited international contractors to pre-qualify for a crude oil and products terminal at its Red Sea port of Aqaba in May, after large import volumes put pressure on its only oil jetty, which can accommodate tankers of around 400,000 tonnes.
Jordan last purchased 500,000 tonnes of gasoil for delivery over June to August from BB Energy at a premium of about $34 a tonne to Middle East quotes.
|
