Aden Refinery Company and the oil harbour were constructed in the mid-1950’s to receive and refine oil from other countries and provide the various grades of fuel needed by ships bunkering at the port, underpinning Aden’s growing success as a ‘middle distance’ bunkering point between Europe and the sub-Continent and Far East.
Aden Refinery Company (ARC) handled around 12 million MT of crude and refined products up to 2014, with oil products used in Yemen and exported by tankers to other ports in the country. Imports in 2014 were 7.5 million MT and exports 4.5 million MT. From 2015 onwards, ARC has been handling imports and exports of refined products only, using the following berths:
| Berth No. | Depth (m) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 13.5 | ‘T’ jetty. For tankers up to 85000 DWT, LOA 260 m - for loading refined products. Dredged in 1993. |
| 2 | 11.5 | ‘T’ jetty. For tankers up to 65000 DWT, LOA 180 m - for loading refined products. Dredged in 1987. |
| 3 | 11.5 | Pier berth. For tankers up to 65000 DWT, LOA 235 m - for loading refined products. Dredged in 1987. |
| 4 | 15.85 | Pier berth. For tankers up to 110000 DWT, LOA 286 m - for discharging crude oil and loading refined products. Dredged in 1989. |
| Note: | Tankers discharging/loading at Berths 1-4 (only) are allowed to bunker alongside. | |
| 5&6 | 11.0 |
For LPG, dry cargoes, heavy lifts/project cargoes and import/export cargoes (liquid and dry) in containers shipped to or from the Refinery. The LPG quay length is 120m. The dry cargo quay length 220m can be used by ships up to 150m in length berthing alongside. Turning basin width off the berths is 250m, dredged to 11.0m in 1993. Ships allowed to use the jetty are restricted to the following criteria: Summer DWT 15,000 Tons MAX LOA 150m MAX Draft 10.4m |
| DWT | MAX LOA | MAX Draft |
| 3,500 M Tons | 100 m | 10.4 m |
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