Qatar Fuel (Woqod) has purchased a bitumen tanker “with modern specifications” from China for $6mn, the company said yesterday.
Built in China in 2012, the “double hull and double bottom” tanker with 2,512 gross tonnage weight, has since been named ‘Sidra Al Wakra’.
The vessel, registered in and bearing the flag of Liberia under a non-resident Liberian entity called ‘Sidra Al Wakra Shipping Company’, is set to join Woqod’s fleet by end- 2014.
Woqod is currently supplying bitumen to the local market through two owned ships ‘Sidra Al Wajba’ and ‘Sidra Mesaieed’.
Following an MoU signed with the Public Works Authority (Ashgal) in March 2014, Woqod has committed to providing approximately 130,000 tonnes of bitumen and polymer modified bitumen in Ashghal’s current and future projects, particularly those included in its five year project plan from 2014 to 2019.
Woqod said ‘Sidra Al Wakra’ would help meet its obligations with Ashghal.
Woqod hopes the new vessel would increase the capacity of its marine fleet significantly and enable it to avail of the required quantities of bitumen required in the local market and by Ashghal. This, Woqod said, will help in the timely completion of government projects.
