Kharg Oil Terminal
Kharg Oil Terminal is an active crude-oil export complex on Kharg Island in Bushehr Province. Operated by Iranian Oil Terminals Company for NIOC, it stores, blends and loads crude onto VLCC and Suezmax tankers. As Iran’s principal crude-export outlet, it is central to the country’s access to seaborne oil markets and to execution across the export supply chain.
Strategic and market-access role
Iran’s primary crude oil export terminal, concentrating crude storage, blending and tanker loading for seaborne export. The terminal is the principal maritime outlet for Iranian crude, linking domestic oil production and storage with export tankers serving international buyers.
Operations, capacity & connectivity
Related use cases
Crude oil storage, blending, tanker loading and export logistics.
Capacity and service area
Capacity: Estimated normal-condition export loading capacity: 5–7 million barrels per day. Crude storage capacity: approximately 20–30 million barrels. Actual exports vary. Service area: Kharg Island and Iran’s crude-oil export supply chain, serving seaborne buyers through Persian Gulf shipping routes.
Connected modes
Seaborne crude transport via multiple jetties and berths for VLCC and Suezmax tankers.
Industries served
Upstream and midstream oil, crude marketing, tanker shipping and downstream refining supply chains.
Ownership, operation & expansion
Owner and operator
Owner: National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC). Operator: Iranian Oil Terminals Company (IOTC), a subsidiary of the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC).
Opening or commissioning
Initial export facilities were established in the late 1950s and early 1960s; the terminal’s major-export role dates to the early 1960s.
Expansion and development projects
Recent investment emphasis has been on storage, loading-efficiency and infrastructure maintenance and modernisation rather than major new capacity additions.
Constraints, risk & compliance
Operational constraints
Export execution depends on tanker availability, shipping insurance and payment channels; restrictions on spare parts, technology and external capital also complicate maintenance and modernisation.
Key risks and compliance considerations
Its concentration of Iranian crude-export activity creates exposure to disruptions in Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz shipping. Sanctions-related constraints on shipping, insurance, finance and equipment procurement can reduce export execution and maintenance flexibility.
Connected Intelligence
Relevant geography, industry, market and execution context for this profile.
Frequently asked questions
Direct answers to the questions most likely to arise when reviewing this profile.
What is Kharg Oil Terminal?
Kharg Oil Terminal is Iran’s primary crude-oil export terminal, handling crude storage, blending and tanker loading on Kharg Island.
Who owns and operates Kharg Oil Terminal?
The National Iranian Oil Company owns the terminal, and its subsidiary Iranian Oil Terminals Company operates it.
What vessels can use Kharg Oil Terminal?
Its marine facilities include multiple jetties and berths for crude tankers, including VLCCs and Suezmax vessels.
What is the terminal’s stated capacity?
Estimated normal-condition export loading capacity is 5–7 million barrels per day, with approximately 20–30 million barrels of crude storage capacity. Actual export volumes vary.