Lebanon anticipates the first shipment of the swapped Iraqi oil to run the country\u2019s power stations before the end of August, a government source said Tuesday.<\/p>\n
The Iraqi side will hand over the crude oil shipment to international companies that won the tender.<\/p>\n
The companies will swap the Iraqi oil with HFO Grade (A) and \/ or HFO Grade (B) and \/ or gasoil that will be shipped to Lebanon to run the country\u2019s power plants.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are not getting any Iraqi oil. What we are doing is a standard stock cargo and we have been doing that for almost a year,\u201d the source told The Daily Star on condition of anonymity.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe difference between what we used to do and what we are doing now is that in the old days we used to make a tender book with an open LC (line of credit) confirmed by the Central Bank and JPMorgan. Instead, there will be a standby LC in the amount that is equivalent to an Iraqi I sulphur heavy fuel which is also equivalent to the amount the standby LC,\u201d the source said.<\/p>\n
If everything goes according to plan and all conditions are met, Lebanon will start getting the swapped fuel regularly every month for the next 12 months, the source said.<\/p>\n
The companies that win the tenders will go to Iraq and swap the fuel oil with diesel that meets the specifications of Lebanon\u2019s power plants.<\/p>\n
The implementation process was supposed to develop a procedure to prequalify the bidding companies so it can be approved by the Iraqi side.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Iraqis needed to approve the companies, the procedures, the tendering process and every single step of the process. The whole idea is to be transparent, clear and compliant to the Iraqi and Lebanese procedures,\u201d the source explained.<\/p>\n
He added that the Lebanese side developed the procedures which the Iraqis approved and contacted the companies which the Iraqis approved.<\/p>\n
The companies also sent their prequalification, which was approved by the Iraqis.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Iraqis have already approved three companies out of five that showed interest. The process is a lot more complicated than people think,\u201d the source said.<\/p>\n
He added that the prequalified companies have to go to Iraq and get the Iraqi fuel quantified and give them an equivalent amount of HFO Grade (A) and \/ or HFO Grade (B) and \/ or Gasoil.<\/p>\n
The source stressed that the Iraqis insisted in dealing with reputable, international transparent companies.<\/p>\n
Last month, the Lebanese government, represented by the Energy and Water Ministry, and the Iraqi government, represented by the of Oil Ministry entered into a term agreement to secure on Government to Government (G2G) basis a yearly quantity of 1 million metric tons of Iraqi Quality Specifications High Sulphur Fuel Oil (HSFO) divided into 12 months.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is to inform all potential bidders to provide the Directorate General of Oil \/ Ministry of Energy and Water of Lebanon; their interest to partake in a SWAP agreement whereby supplying Electricit\u00e9 Du Liban (EDL) with HFO Grade (A) and \/ or HFO Grade (B) and \/ or Gasoil under the terms and conditions and mechanism that will be published in due course,\u201d the of Energy Ministry announced on its website.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Lebanon anticipates the first shipment of the swapped Iraqi oil to run the country\u2019s power stations before the end of August, a government source said Tuesday. The Iraqi side will hand over the crude oil shipment to international companies that won the tender. The companies will swap the Iraqi oil with HFO Grade (A) and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":205889,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2081],"tags":[278],"class_list":["post-205888","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-2081","tag-featured"],"yoast_head":"\n