---

After supplying state-of-the-art offshore bunkering services in Scandinavia for a number of years, Swedish firm Stena Oil has announced that it is now expanding into West Africa.

Commencing at the end of January, Stena Oil says it will have the capacity to cover a large area in West Africa, using customized tankers and drawing from the company's experience in providing offshore bunkering services in North Europe.

"Stena Oil will use their accumulated experience, customized tankers, well trained crew and technological know-how in order to maintain the highest standards of quality and reliability that customers expect from the company," Stena Oil said in a statement.

"Drawing on our vast experience of performing offshore bunkering services under extremely demanding conditions in the Nordic area, we will now supply fuels to vessels from off Abidjan to Lagos, Pointe Noire and all the way down the coast to Luanda," the company added.

Stena Oil says it will be supplying marine fuel 30 – 50 miles off the coast at the various West African locations using two customized tankers on long-term time charter, together with its partner Tarntank.

Commenting on the news, Patrik Pettersson, Executive Vice President, said "Through this expansion we strengthen our position as one of the world's most reliable and quality focused operators in the bunker industry. We now have the opportunity to prove our exceptional commitment to quality, flexibility and performance to new customers in West Africa.

"West Africa, being a region of increasing shipping activities, puts great demands on experience and reliability – and we are happy to supply this. Being both a buying and a selling operator with long experience from this area, Stena Oil as a supplier has the advantage of knowing exactly what the customer demands from [its] supplier and we are therefore in a position to operate proactively and with great efficiency."

Stena Oil says it will also bring its focus on safety and quality into its West Africa bunker operation. The vessels and crews are said to have undergone the same stringent bunker quality assurance programme - named Green Bunkering - as the company uses in Scandinavia.

The vessels to be used in West Africa are the double-hulled tankers M/T Tarnsjo (10.887 DWT) and M/T Tarnfors [pictured] (8.245 DWT), which are currently making their way towards the West African coast and are expected to arrive on or around January 20th.

The tankers are equipped with the latest technology, including flow meters to verify volumes supplied.

Image: M/T Tarnfors