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Midia Marine Terminal started the planned turnaround of the offshore terminal
Midia Marine Terminal (MMT), a member company of the KMG International Group, has started the overhaul works at the marine terminal located 8.6 kilometers offshore in the Black Sea, which ensures the supply of crude oil to Petromidia refinery – the largest and most complex refinery of its kind in Romania. With a transfer capacity of 16 million tons/year, the terminal is the only crude oil loading and unloading facility of this type in Romania.
“We use the best materials for these works, developed by using top technologies in the field because the operation of the marine terminal is of strategic importance for all operations carried out by the KMGI Group. The new materials will ensure a constant flow of raw materials, in the safest conditions, both for the technical assembly and for the marine environment”, said Ioan Taus, General Director of Midia Marine Terminal.
Moreover, the company places great emphasis on the environmental component and pays substantial attention to all preventive actions in the field. Since 2009, the year the terminal was put into operation, there have been no incidents in the area adjacent to the terminal with an impact on the environment.
To prevent potential pollution risks, the company has implemented a set of strict procedures, including drills and plans to combat oil spills. Thus, the biodiversity in the Black Sea coastal area, as well as that of the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve, located in the immediate vicinity, are protected from risk factors.
The works will last approximately three weeks, they are carried out with Midia Marine Terminal's own and contracted staff, over 100 people being involved in the project. A very important role is played by the 21 divers, of which 9 are experienced specialists permanently employed by the company, who will be assisted during the entire process by diving technicians, work supervisors, hyperbaric chamber technicians, and by the staff of the three tugs of Midia Marine Terminal.
The maintenance will mainly concern the replacement of all floating and submarine hoses, more than 50 pieces totaling approximately 600 meters. The total investment is estimated at about 4.3 million USD, the marine hoses with double protection being produced by the Yokohama company from Japan.
The optimal period of operation of the hoses varies between 2 and 8 years, depending on the area they are installed in and the level of mechanical stress to which they are subjected, both during operation and during rest periods. It is important to mention that the equipment that will be taken out of use is to be neutralized, with the support of specialized companies, according to the regulations in force.
During the first half of the year, more than 30 large ships were unloaded at the company's marine terminal, with their transport capacity varying from 100,000 to 160,000 tons. They transported about 2.6 million tons of crude oil for the Petromidia Navodari refinery, the main source being the oil fields in Kazakhstan.
Currently, the crude oil storage capacity, in the tank farm located near the Petromidia refinery, is at its maximum level, providing the necessary raw materials for the operation of the largest refinery in Romania in optimal conditions.
If additional raw materials will be required, Petromidia Refinery will be able to use alternative solutions to ensure them, including from the storage capacities located in the Port of Constanta.
The marine terminal owned by KMG International has been in operation for almost 15 years, during which time it was used to supply Petromidia refinery with approximately 55 million tons of raw materials, brought by 650 ships, volumes largely originating from Kazakhstan, with the support of the sole shareholder of the
KMGI Group, the national oil and gas company KazMunayGas.
The terminal is a Single Point Mooring type and is composed of a static part, fixed to the bottom of the sea by a system of anchors, and a second part, to which the ship is tied, which can turn freely around the static part, depending on the wind, currents, and waves, with the help of a massive bearing.
The maximum operating flow rate is 7,000 m³/h, which means that a vessel carrying between 80,000 and 160,000 tons can be unloaded within 24-36 hours.
In addition to unloading raw materials, Midia Marine Terminal also manages the railway and truck loading ramps on the Petromidia and Vega platforms, as well as the berths in the port of Midia - berths 1-4 for unloading raw materials and berth 9 for loading oil products and unloading liquefied petroleum gas and ethylene for petrochemical activities. The volume of transfers through the loading/unloading ramps of the Petromidia and Vega refineries exceeds 3.5 million tons of fuels and LPG annually.