An official of Iran's shipbuilding industry says the country is planning to launch its first indigenous ocean-going oil tanker next month.

The oil tanker is 186 meters (m) long, 32 m wide and 16 m high and will be launched in a draft depth of nine meters, Managing Director of Iran Shipbuilding and Offshore Industries Complex Co. (ISOICO) Hamid Rezaeian said on Thursday.


He added that the vessel is capable of carrying 35,000 tons of oil products and has been valued at USD29 million.

Rezaeian further noted that the tanker has been ordered by the National Iranian Tanker Company (NITC) and will be delivered in the upcoming Iranian calendar year (beginning March 21, 2013).

The Islamic Republic of Iran has achieved significant progress in marine and shipbuilding industries in recent years and has developed several domestic and international projects.

In one of its latest shipbuilding projects, Iran delivered the first Aframax tanker made for the Venezuelan national oil company, PDVSA, in October, 2012.

The tanker was one of the four tankers ordered by the Venezuelan company and built by Iran Marine Industrial Company (Sadra).

Aframax ships are oil tankers smaller than 120,000 metric tons deadweight with a breadth of above 32.31 meters.
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News ID 184058