14 December 2010
ARA oil-storage growth on refining and trade trends
Long-haul oil trade is driving up storage volumes at the big ARA ports faster than consumption, Martin Quinlan writes
INDEPENDENT storage operators in the Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp (ARA) area are benefiting from the shifting focus of world refining and trading. As long-haul exports from the refineries of Asia and the Middle East increase, so does the demand for storage capacity serving Europe’s main markets. Accordingly, flows through the ARA ports were strong in 2010. With demand by contango-traders – holding refined products to lock-in futures prices higher than prompt prices – also high at times, capacity was strained. New facilities are under construction at all three of the main ports. According to the Port of Rotterdam Authority, flows of oil products through the port – imports and exports – tota
Also in this section
23 April 2026
The addition of an oil pipeline to the Power of Siberia 2 gas project could ensure deliveries of Russian oil to China, materially shorten logistics lines between West Siberia and final customers, and—amid disruption in the Strait of Hormuz—offer a land-based export route that reduces exposure to maritime chokepoints
23 April 2026
There is a clear push to bolster exports to Asia amid uncertainty around its North American neighbour, but there are limits to the benefits from the energy crisis
23 April 2026
Shell made the play-opening discovery in Namibia’s Orange basin back in 2022, but its next well could decide whether the project can actually be commercialised
22 April 2026
The failure of OMV Petrom’s keenly watched exploration campaign at Bulgaria’s Han Asparuh block highlights the Black Sea’s uneven track record, despite major successes like Neptun Deep and Sakarya
