Petrobras carried out successfully the first offshore bunkering operation, in which fuel is transferred from one vessel to another, in São Luís (state of Maranhão), on March 26. The procedure was performed about 20 kilometers away from the entrance to the port of São Louis, where 95% vessels bound for the port of the capital city of Maranhão are anchored.
To implement this new mode of supply, twin-hull vessel Sea Emperor, which is fitted with a propeller that provides for greater ease in maneuvering and has capacity to supply 12,000 tons of fuel, was added to the bunker ship fleet. Sailing under the flag of the Marshall Islands, the vessel is 130 meters long, 20 meters wide, and has a draft of 8.7 meters.
The terminals that make up the port (Itaqui, Ponta da Madeira, and Alumar) can supply fuel to 70 vessels per month, most of which filled in Singapore.
In order to implement this mode of delivery, permits were secured from the Department of the Environment, the Port Authority, from the Merchant Marine Department, from Port State Control, and from the Internal Revenue Service.
With these operations getting underway, Petrobras expects there to be a sustainable growth in product sales in the region.
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Source:Petrobras , April 1, 2011;