UAE's BPGIC leases oil storage tanks to France's Total in Fujairah - sources

[DUBAI] Brooge Petroleum and Gas Investment Co (BPGIC) has leased oil storage facilities in the United Arab Emirates to France's Total, industry sources familiar with the matter said, as global crude storage rapidly fills up.

The company is leasing six storage tanks in the UAE emirate of Fujairah for six months and this could be renewed for another six months, one of the sources said.

The tanks, which store oil products, have already received initial cargoes, two of the sources said.

BPGIC and Total did not respond to a request for comment.

Global oil storage is filling swiftly as lockdowns to halt the spread of the coronavirus pandemic hammer consumption, driving down global demand for crude and its products, such as gasoline, diesel and jet fuel, by as much as 30 per cent.

The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, Russia and other allied producers have agreed to rein in supplies from May but the cuts amounting to about 10 per cent of global crude production has still left the world awash with oil.

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UAE-based BPGIC, established in 2013, plans to expand its storage capacity for crude and oil products to around 3.5 million cubic metres, from 1 million cubic metres now.

It is already one of the largest holders of storage assets in Fujairah, which is itself among the world's largest bunkering hubs.

REUTERS