Neka Oil Terminal
The terminal is operated by IOTC and located at Behshahr Port near Neka on Iran’s Caspian coast. Its documented role is to facilitate crude swaps from Central Asian countries and connect Caspian supply with inland refineries. Capacity and expansion claims in the available evidence are historical and conflicting.
Strategic and market-access role
Neka Oil Terminal matters in the Hormuz Graph as a Caspian-side energy logistics node, distinct from Persian Gulf export terminals such as Kharg or Lavan. Its role is tied to northern oil handling, Caspian maritime access, storage-linked logistics, and potential swap-route logic connecting Iran with Caspian producers and inland refinery demand. The asset links Mazandaran’s coastal infrastructure, energy flows, port services, environmental exposure, and sanctions-sensitive trade pathways, making it useful for understanding how northern energy routes diversify Iran’s oil logistics map. Provides a northern Iranian entry point for Caspian crude swaps and an alternative oil-trade route outside the Persian Gulf.
Operations, capacity & connectivity
Related use cases
Useful for Caspian energy-route screening, oil logistics analysis, import-flow assessment, sanctions and compliance review, maritime partner mapping, and comparison of northern energy infrastructure with Gulf terminals. Analysts can use it to evaluate how Caspian crude movement interacts with inland transport, storage use, refinery supply, and regional geopolitics. Commercial review should verify current activity, counterparties, marine services, storage conditions, and legal exposure.
Capacity and service area
Capacity: Historical reports from 2016 give inconsistent swap-capacity figures: 130,000 bpd, 150,000 bpd described as maximum capacity, and 350,000 bpd. A 2016 report also cited storage capacity of 250 million litres (about 1.57 million barrels) and pipeline transfer capacity of 370,000 bpd. These figures should not be treated as current without further verification. Service area: Caspian Sea and Central Asian crude-supply routes, with links to Iran’s inland refinery demand.
Connected modes
Caspian maritime transport and pipeline transfer.
Industries served
Oil and gas; crude oil logistics; refining.
Ownership, operation & expansion
Owner and operator
Owner: IOTC is reported to be a wholly owned subsidiary of the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC). Operator: Iranian Oil Terminals Company (IOTC).
Expansion and development projects
Plans reported in 2012–2016 referred to higher swap and transfer capacity, including stages of 500,000 bpd, 1 million bpd and 2.5 million bpd. The evidence pack does not establish completion dates or current status.
Constraints, risk & compliance
Operational constraints
Available capacity evidence is historical, internally inconsistent and may refer to different operating measures. Current throughput, storage availability and marine-service conditions require verification.
Key risks and compliance considerations
IOTC is identified in the evidence pack as subject to OFAC sanctions and secondary-sanctions exposure. Any engagement requires current legal, sanctions and counterparty due diligence.
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.
Where is Neka Oil Terminal located?
Neka Oil Terminal is located at Behshahr Port (Neka), about 22 km from Neka Town in Mazandaran Province, on Iran’s Caspian Sea coast.
Who operates Neka Oil Terminal?
The terminal is operated by Iranian Oil Terminals Company (IOTC), which is reported to be a wholly owned subsidiary of the National Iranian Oil Company.
What is Neka Oil Terminal’s role in oil logistics?
It supports crude oil swaps from Central Asian suppliers and channels Caspian crude toward Iran’s inland refineries, providing a northern alternative to Persian Gulf oil routes.
What capacity does Neka Oil Terminal have?
Available 2016 reports cite differing swap-capacity figures, from 130,000 to 350,000 bpd, alongside a 150,000-bpd maximum figure. These historical and conflicting claims require current verification.