First Iranian-Made Oil Tanker to Arrive in Venezuela Soon

Iran’s Minister of Industry, Mine and Trade Mehdi Ghazanfari says the first Aframax tanker Iran has made for the Venezuelan national oil company (PDVSA) will be delivered next month.

The tanker is one of the four tankers ordered by the Venezuelan company and built by Iran Marine Industrial Company (Sadra) and has been launched for the final delivery, Ghazanfari said on Friday.

Salman Zarbi, the managing director of Sadra’s shipbuilding plant, noted On July 24 that the tanker is 250 meters (m) long, 44 m wide and 21 m high and has been launched in a draft depth of 14.8 m.

Zarbi stated that three more tankers are under construction at Sadra’s yard for delivery to Venezuela.

“In view of the good experience we’ve had with the first tanker, I hope the second tanker will be ready in the next 10 months,” he said.

Aframax ships are oil tankers smaller than 120,000 metric tons deadweight (DWT) with a breadth of above 32.31 meters.

Tehran and Caracas have signed an array of agreements, pledging to work together in the oil industry, building low-income housing and assembling tractors and bicycles as well as military projects among other ventures.