World Bunkering > News > Spring 2011 > Fujairah beckons

Yes, it’s nearly that time again. Time to fly into Dubai airport, jump straight into a taxi and head out into the desert, across the Hajjar Mountains and for the everexpanding Indian Ocean emirate, city and port of Fujairah.

Fujcon, or more formally the International Fujairah Bunkering and Fuel Oil Forum, takes place every two years. Its host city has changed a lot since the first Fujcon was held. While Fujairah is nowhere near the size of Dubai, it has grown massively during those years, with numerous tall buildings appearing.

The rapid growth of the city is going hand in hand with similar expansion of port infrastructure. Fujairah’s new investment in storage facilities is set to increase total capacity from its current 3 million plus cubic capacity to 7 million cubic metres by the end of 2012.

The intention is to continue to strengthen the port’s bunkering operation and also to develop Fujairah as a global hub for both oil and product supply. The Abu Dhabi Crude Oil Pipeline project (ADCOP), transporting 1 to 1.5 million barrels per day via a 360 km 48 inch pipeline from Habshan to Fujairah, will include storage for 12 million bbl and three single point mooring buoys for deep-water tank loading. Additionally, the port is currently completing a further 1,500 metres of oil berth, complementing the 840 metres already in operation. A decision on further berths is imminent.

Once again Fujcon’s venue is the award-winning, five star Al Diar Siji hotel where Singapore-based Conference Connection will make sure the event provides an independent platform for the discussion of the industry’s latest trends, opportunities, challenges and regulations. As ever, the programme is international but has a strong Middle Eastern flavour. The welcome address will be given by Mohammed Saeed Al Kindi, the emirate’s former Minister of Environment and Water. Dr Al Kindi is well known in IBIA circles and was formerly a Council member.

Newly appointed Chemoil Energy ceo Tom Reilly will give the state-of-the-bunker industry address. Mr Reilly is likely to gain the conference’s undivided attention as this will be his first speech since taking over the running of the large independent global supplier. Topically, Chemoil recently announced massive investment in storage facilities in Fujairah.

There will be two keynote speakers: Ali Obaid Al-Yabhouni, general manager of ADNATCO-NGSCO and UAE governor for OPEC, and Fereidun Fesharaki, chairman of FACTS Global Energy Group. The two days of intense discussion will feature a wide range of speakers, including IBIA chief executive Ian Adams.

The organisers say the conference will cover the following main topics:

• The global oil market and fuel oil/bunker outlook east of Suez
• Future storage trends and why Fujairah should be chosen as a storage hub
• Latest developments in Fujairah and other global bunkering markets
• Updates on bunker trading, pricing and hedging strategies
• Revised Marpol Annex VI & NOx technical code and regulations for measurable reductions of GHG emissions from ships
• Sulphur emission reduction alternatives: capacity and environmental attributes
• Marine fuel standards, fuel management and efficiency, fuel contamination and fuel additives
• Scrubbing technology, metering and maximising strategies for P&I.

That is an ambitious programme for a two-day event but there will be time to relax, and to socialise. In fact there are no less than seven social functions associated with Fujcon this year. Breaking the ice will be an opening reception. And then there is the conference dinner, a well-established feature of the conference. Old Fujcon hands will no doubt have fond memories of dinners past.

Oh, there is one more thing that mustn’t be missed; the postconference visit to the port and other offshore installations – a glimpse of one of the world’s main bunkering hubs in action. After all, that is what this gathering is really all about.