Oman’s Port of Sohar has signed two licences for the establishment of refuelling facilities at the port.

Maqbool Ali Sultan, Commerce & Industry Minister and chairman of Sohar Industrial Port Company, signed the first agreement with Shell Marine Products. This firm us a subsidiary of the UK/Dutch Shell Group, in partnership with the local Shell Oman. The second deal was signed with a joint venture of US-based Matrix Marine Holding and the local Oman Oil.

Shell Oman and Oman Oil will supply marine fuels of different grades to vessels stopping at Sohar and also at the extended anchorage area close to the Strait of Hormuz from mid-June, says a port spokesperson.

The port also announced a 41 per cent year-on-year increase in cargo throughput in 2009, from 6.9 million tonnes of freight in 2008 to 9.7 million tonnes in 2009.