Ship laden with 5,700 tonnes of LPG docks at Aqaba Port  

(Menafn-JordanTimes) AMMAN — The Jordan Petroleum Refinery Company (JPRC) on Thursday said the crisis over a shortage of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) during the past few weeks is over now, following the arrival of an Egyptian ship laden with 5,700 tonnes of LPG from Saudi Aramco.

The ship docked at Aqaba Port yesterday, after "obtaining the permission of the port management," JPRC Director Ahmad Rifai told The Jordan Times.

Another ship loaded with 3,200 tonnes of gas will arrive at the port in two days time, according to Rifai.

The cargo of these two ships will increase the JPRC's gas reserve, offsetting the gas deficit in the Kingdom.

Last year, the JPRC signed an agreement with Saudi Aramco to supply the country with 150,000 tonnes of LPG.

Under the agreement, this quantity would cover the country's needs during the period from October 2006 to April 2007. "This is double the quantity compared to year 2006," Rifai added.

"I assure the public that such crisis will not occur in the future," Rifai stressed adding that the refinery is working on diversifying its supplier base.

Currently, the sole supplier for this basic commodity is Saudi Aramco, he said, noting that the company has "already contacted some Lebanese transportation companies for consultations, who showed interest in the past to supply us with Lebanese gas."

"As it is very important to have several suppliers rather than relying on one, the company is working on securing other suppliers," Rifai added.

In the long-run, the JPRC plans to enlarge its production capacity.

"The company has already started to attract investors interested in its expansion project," Rifai said.

Citibank, the JPRC's adviser, handles this process and has already distributed the project's specifications papers among various investors.

In Amman, pickup trucks that deliver gas cylinders to homes now roam the city streets fully loaded, he noted.

"Gas is available now," Ahmad Hussami, owner of the Hussami Gas Agency in Tabarbour, told The Jordan Times yesterday.

"I hope such shortage does not recur in the future," he added.

The recent shortage of gas cylinders that led to a nationwide crisis was attributed to the JPRC's low production levels and a sharp increase in demand as a result of two cold fronts with heavy rain and snowfall, which closed roads in the southern part of the country and prevented trucks from reaching the capital.