Hodeidah / Jamil Al-Qashm –

During the past year 2023 AD, the Yemen Petroleum Company branch in Hodeidah Governorate achieved positive performance indicators in improving the company’s oil facility services and addressing the damage caused by the aggression’s bombing on the infrastructure and facility services system.

Director General of the Hodeidah Oil Company Branch, Adnan Al-Jarmouzi, explained that the projects that were opened included the company’s branch facilities, the establishment of a tank with a capacity of five thousand and 400 cubic meters, the rehabilitation of 11 tanks with a total capacity of 33 thousand cubic meters and bringing them into service, and the project to establish and operate an electronic control system. Comprehensive maintenance, periodic modernization, and repair of tanks damaged by aggression aircraft bombing.

Al-Jarmouzi also reported the implementation of five projects at a cost of two billion and 350 million riyals, with self-financing, which include building a model station on an area of ​​seven thousand and 200 square meters in the industrial zone with a storage capacity of two million liters, establishing loading platforms in the facilities, an integrated solar energy system, as well as creating a tank with a capacity of 15 thousand. And 600 cubic meters, and the rehabilitation and maintenance of Ras Issa facilities, which were targeted by the aggression.

The matrix of completed projects implemented by the Ministry and the Oil Company and its branch in Hodeidah, in the process of addressing these damages, despite all the challenges and difficulties, represented a priority, to improve the services of oil ports and facilities, which represent the basic service artery to cover the needs of the Yemeni people with oil derivatives.

The oil company was keen to play an effective role in implementing the system of these projects and implementing its obligations and responsibilities in providing derivatives and covering the needs of all governorates and service sectors, even though it is still suffering from great difficulties, restrictions and challenges to restore its activity and its natural role.

September 26 newspaper, through this meeting conducted with the Director General of the Hodeidah Oil Company branch, Adnan Al-Jarmouzi, highlighted the most prominent achievements of the company branch during the past year and the success achieved in implementing maintenance and rehabilitation projects for Ras Issa port and the infrastructure of the facilities affiliated with the company branch, and aspects related to the performance of… The company, in light of the pile of challenges and difficulties resulting from the continuing repercussions of the aggression and siege, to the details: –

Interview by Jamil Al-Qashm

Firstly…to what extent is the oil company branch performing its assigned tasks in light of the current stage, and what is the company’s work currently focused on?

– The nature of the exceptional stage that the country is going through due to the repercussions of the aggression and the blockade, imposed many restrictions on the performance of the oil company, and this is not hidden from everyone in terms of not allowing the import of petroleum materials as was previously done as a result of arbitrary measures by the countries of the aggression coalition for the ninth year in a row.

The company’s work is currently focused on coordinating with merchants importing petroleum derivatives, covering the needs of service sectors and governorates, supervising stations, and distributing incoming quantities in coordination with the company’s leadership.

To what extent do these measures that you mentioned affect the position of the oil company in terms of revenues and other burdens?

– The oil company is still suffering in this aspect and is incurring huge losses as a result of its continued ban on the import of petroleum products and the transformation of its role into a coordinator with importing merchants, in addition to the company suffering from large financial burdens to meet the costs of repairing the remaining damage to the facilities’ equipment, machinery and tanks. Its affiliates and implement maintenance and development projects.

What is the extent of these damages and losses incurred by the oil sector in Hodeidah Governorate since the start of the aggression and these measures?

– The bill for these direct and indirect material damages and losses reached a high record level during the past nine years, which led to its effects being reflected in the cost of importing and selling these derivatives in the local market, despite the tireless efforts being made at all levels to maintain supply and price stability and the keenness to provide Citizens’ needs.

To what extent did lifting the blockade on the Red Sea ports contribute to addressing the challenges you talked about, and what are the efforts in this regard?

In conjunction with the decision to lift the blockade on the Red Sea ports and allow the entry of cargo ships and petroleum derivatives, efforts accelerated to implement a package of measures for the maintenance of Ras Issa port, which was subjected to major destruction and severe damage by the aggression’s bombing, and the approval of the Development, Oil, Transport and Communications Committees of the House of Representatives, the reception and entry of gas ships. Across the port, preparing and preparing studies and launching them with a tender to carry out maintenance.

Among these measures stipulated in the recommendations of the House of Representatives was the approval of a number of future studies to rehabilitate and develop the port of Hodeidah with regard to the maintenance of Berth No. 2, which contributes to enhancing and facilitating the smooth movement of oil ships entering the port.

What work has been carried out specifically regarding addressing the damage caused by the aggression on the infrastructure of the oil sector in Hodeidah?

To address the challenges associated with the damage to oil facilities and installations and the rehabilitation of petroleum filling stations and the port of Ras Issa, the Ministry and the Oil Company and its branch in Hodeidah moved to implement a number of strategic projects that represent a priority for expanding the facilities’ infrastructure in a way that enhances and secures the reserve capacity for oil storage.

The efforts actually culminated in the projects that were completed during the past year 2023 AD, including the rehabilitation of Ras Issa port and the launch of work on its services, and multiple projects.

Would it be nice if we talked in detail about the nature of these projects and their importance in light of the continuing challenges and potential threats?

– Opening of the Ras Issa Oil Port maintenance and rehabilitation project, at a cost of 800 million riyals, which includes maintenance and rehabilitation of tanks, the pipeline network, loading platforms and pumps, administrative offices, computers, an automated system, and surveillance cameras. The project also includes filling the seven-kilometre road leading to the port. And establishing an internal inspection gate for the port, as well as constructing concrete blocks to connect three ships, equipping and operating three electrical generators with a total capacity of 800 KVA, and providing equipment and means of transportation for employees.

The foundation stone was also laid for the first phase of the Ras Issa Oil Port development project at a cost of seven billion and 400 million riyals. It includes the construction of six strategic oil derivatives tanks with a capacity of 75,600 cubic meters to increase the storage capacity in the port by 140 percent, and the implementation of a pipeline network for transporting materials and a system. Security and safety. The project includes preparing the infrastructure to receive fuel ships of gasoline, diesel, gas, and diesel, and constructing four service buildings, including a building for employee housing, a restaurant, a mosque, and a building for generators, in addition to asphalting the road in the port campus with a length of four kilometers, and expanding the lighting and landscaping network in the port. .

Regarding the completed storage capacity projects, a project was opened to increase the storage capacity of petroleum derivatives in the Kilo 18 area in Hodeidah Governorate, with a capacity of six million and 800 thousand liters, with 69 tanks, with the equipment that was made to secure these tanks, and to benefit from the project according to the vision and plan prepared in this regard.

A project to establish a strategic tank was also opened in the facilities of the company’s branch in Hodeidah, with a capacity of five thousand and 400 cubic meters of gasoline, and it was put into service with the implementation of the fire network and the cooling, security and safety system, at a total cost of 450 million riyals.

With regard to infrastructure projects to develop the performance of the oil company branch, a project was opened to maintain and restore the company branch’s administration building, at a cost of 476 thousand dollars, as well as the opening of three development projects represented by the filling and loading platforms that were targeted by the aggression aircraft, at a cost of 377 million and 211 thousand riyals, and the solar energy system. With a capacity of 600 kilowatts, at a cost of 338 million and 451 thousand riyals, and maintenance of tank No. 24 at a cost of 22 million and 309 thousand riyals.

Are these completed projects limited to restoring and maintaining damage only, or is there a development vision and other projects in this regard?

Completing these oil projects and launching work on their services translates the vision of the Ministry and the Oil Company to move from the stage of supply stability to the stage of rebuilding what was destroyed by the aggression within the framework of the national vision for building the modern state, which included major development of facilities, work systems, and storage capacity.

The strategic vision for implementing the matrix of these projects is consistent with the directives of the Revolutionary Leadership, the Supreme Political Council, and the caretaker government, with the aim of increasing the storage capacity of oil derivatives, ensuring their provision to citizens, and alleviating the state of suffering resulting from the repercussions of the aggression and siege.

What are the trends and visions in implementing projects and alleviating the suffering of the Yemeni people regarding oil derivatives?

– The suffering that the Yemeni people have been experiencing for more than nine years is due to the continuing repercussions of the aggressive war on Yemen, as the Ministry and the Oil Company seek, within paths and tireless efforts, to achieve supply stability at the current stage and continue to complete more qualitative, purposeful projects that will improve the business system. And the services of the Hodeidah Oil Company branch to serve the Yemeni people.

Are there any achievements and successes achieved by the oil company branch during the past year?

– Extensive efforts are made to monitor the stations to achieve ration stability and work to cover the market’s needs through communication with a number of importing merchants. Recently, a committee was formed to follow up on the ration situation in the governorate recently to provide a strategic stock of petroleum derivatives.

Work was also launched last year on four mobile stations to distribute petroleum derivatives to the fishermen segment in four fish landing sites in Hodeidah to fuel their boats. These stations, which were manufactured locally, represent an advanced step to enhance the efficiency of oil supply to fishermen on the Hodeidah coast within the projects that seek The oil company, through it, in coordination with the Supreme Agricultural and Fisheries Committee, the local authority in the governorate, and the Fisheries Authority, to take care of fishermen and alleviate their suffering.

Regarding developing the capabilities of cadres working in oil facilities and implementing field campaigns, the company adopted a training plan in the field of security, safety and maintenance for workers in oil facilities and building the capabilities of administrative cadres in various specializations to raise the level of efficiency in completing the tasks assigned technically and administratively.

A number of field monitoring campaigns were also implemented to calibrate the pumps of the company’s agents’ gas stations in the governorate, to prevent tampering with the approved official calibrations and ensure that there are no violations, embodying the responsibility in selling fuel in accordance with the regulations of the Ministry and the Oil Company and preventing abuses and fraud in the sale of petroleum derivatives.

Regarding the development of the company’s branch service mechanisms, work was launched to serve the public and the automated system for administrative correspondence to facilitate transactions and procedures before the company’s agents, as well as reorganizing and arranging the financial archive electronically since 2014 AD, and enhancing work with the automated system for oil tank measurements.