Suncor Sends Its First Crude-Laden Tanker to Europe

Suncor Energy Inc, a Canadian oilsands company, is sending its first ever tanker of Western Canadian heavy crude from Canada’s East Coast to Europe, a company spokeswoman said on Tuesday.

The cargo is being shipped by Greek-flagged aframax tanker Minerva Gloria, owned by Minerva Marine.

According to Reuters data, the cargo will be loaded at the port of Sorel-Tracy in Quebec and discharged in the Mediterranean.

The company’s spokeswoman Sneh Seetal did not disclose the name of the buyer, nor the amount of oil being shipped.

Bloomberg data indicates that the shipment involves 600,000 barrels of crude.

“Canada and the United States remain our key markets but it’s important that we establish customers outside North America,” Sneh Seetal said.

“The crude is inland crude, shipped by rail to the Kildair terminal, where it is loaded on to tankers. This is the first time Suncor has done that.”

Even though market analysts say that the shipment may signal Canada’s entrance into heavy crude export race to Europe, joining producers such as Russia and Saudi Arabia, Seetal said that this is not necessarily going to be an ongoing operation.

[mappress]
World Maritime News Staff, September 24, 2014