Posted on 11/23/2007 8:15:05 AM PST by jhpigott
23 November 2007
LONDON - The US military has stepped up chartering of tankers and requests for extra fuel in the US Central Command area, which includes the Gulf, shipping and oil industry sources say.
A Gulf oil industry source said the charters suggested there would be high naval activity, possibly including a demonstration to Iran that the US Navy will protect the Strait of Hormuz oil shipping route during tensions over Teheran’s nuclear programme.
The US Navy’s Military Sealift Command (MSC) has tendered for four tankers in November to move at least one million barrels of jet and ship fuel between Gulf ports, from Asia to the Gulf and to the Diego Garcia base, tenders seen by Reuters show.
It usually tenders for one or two tankers a month to supply Gulf operations, which include missions in Iraq.
The MSC, asked for comment, confirmed the tenders and said there was nothing abnormal about current requirements in the Gulf, where it has a large military presence and which is home to the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet.
A fifth hire request was recently cancelled, it said.
Fuels specified to be moved between Gulf ports include JP5, high flashpoint jet fuel, used to power F18 fighters aboard aircraft carriers.
“They have been very active,” said a ship industry source, familiar with the MSC tender process, who asked not to be named.
“Out of the multiple charter requirements they issue, they usually do maybe one or two (tankers) a month in the Gulf. They were quiet over the summer months,” he said.
More activity
The US regularly carries out naval exercises in the region, moving aircraft carrier strike groups in and out of the Gulf to counter what it says are provocative military manoeuvres by Iran in the Strait of Hormuz and to reassure its Gulf allies.
Iran, which denies Western charges that its nuclear power programme aims to produce arms, has threatened to disrupt oil flows through the Strait if attacked.
According to US figures, oil flowing through the Strait, at the entrance to the Gulf along Iran’s coastline, accounts for roughly 40 percent of all globally traded oil supplies.
Only last week the navy conducted an exercise to counter potential mine-laying by an unnamed foe in Gulf waters. At the same time the Enterprise aircraft carrier strike group concluded a three-day exercise in anti-submarine warfare skills.
The source in the Gulf, with 50 years of experience in the oil industry, said the charters were indicative of extra US military requirements for fuels.
“Bahrain, for example, has confirmed that there are additional volumes being requested by the US Defense Energy Support Center, including JP5,” the Gulf source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
One of the largest commercial tanker hires is on a time-charter basis, the length of time a ship is sought, stipulating a period of 90 days to carry a range of fuels between locations in the Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.
The time charter, which begins in early December and allows for multiple journeys in Gulf waters, is to carry a minimum of 310,000 barrels of jet and marine fuel, some of it JP5.
“What’s most interesting is the time-charter in the Gulf. It’s a big ship and here we have a commitment for a lot of movement of fuels, backwards and forwards down to the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman,” the Gulf source said.
“This confirms there is going to be a lot of activity, possibly a serious demonstration to Iran that the military means to protect the Hormuz Strait,” he said.
He pointed out that Saudi Arabia had already promised US forces long-term fuel supplies this year, known as term tenders.
In February, oil industry sources told Reuters Riyadh had raised the amount of jet fuel earmarked for the military from 1.5 million barrels last year to close to eight million in 2007.
Fuel charters
Apart from the time charter, MSC has also tendered for commercial tankers to move 235,000 barrels of marine diesel from South Korea to Jebel Ali and Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates and 310,000 barrels of JA1 jet fuel from Bahrain to Mesaieed in Qatar. Both tankers are required in November.
A separate requirement is for a tanker to move 147,000 barrels of ship fuel from Singapore to Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, close to the Gulf and Arabian Sea.
MSC has ships stationed there, known as Maritime Prepositioning Squadron Two, used to support combat operations.
In the past the United States has used the British Indian Ocean territory for long-range bombing raids on Iraq and Afghanistan. Fuel movements have provided advance clues of US intentions.
MSC, the defense department’s transport arm, supplies US forces with its own large fleet of ships, but significantly increases the use of merchant shipping to carry armour and fuels prior to a major exercise and during a war.
ping
thought this coincidedly nicely with your analysis about the “endgame beginning after Christmas” in this thread
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1929192/posts
Doing the fueling that pacifist Japan won’t.
It may be just for exercises, but in any event, news like this will keep certain people over there wondering . . .
Already posted - http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1929581/posts?page=10
probably, but the window on a U.S. led attack while GW is at the helm is closing
whoops, sorry bout that
interesting read though, don’t ya think . . . something to keep an eye on the next couple months or so
In Reagan's 600 ship Navy we used to have Navy tankers that could do the job without raising visibility.
Personally, rather than using all that good JetA for a "demonstration"...I'd rather we just take out Iran's military and nuclear capability and save the fuel for a rainy day. We're gonna have to do that someday soon anyway - demonstration or not!
Bush does not care about popular legacy. He can start and finish an aerial campaign in a week. Whatever spills over to the next presidency is that one's problem. He only cares about the New World Order legacy. For that, don't be surprised if he starts a new front on his way out. Interestingly, I have not heard anyone refer to Bush as a lame duck. Why has the press dropped this term?
My first ship was USS Wabash (AOR 5). We’d use those charter tankers to refuel from and then we would refuel the battlegroup. Used to take on about 5 millions gallons of JP-5 and DFM. Usually take 10-13 hours to refuel.
The only fuel we ( USNS Tippeconoe, USNS Rappahannock ) was diesel to be used by other ships. And the only reason we took the fuel was because we had to, same reason the other ships took it, they had too. When the other ships received the fuel it was as a top off fuel. I think they received their fuel was some place in Saudi Arabia.
No one really wanted the stuff but we had to take it.
Retired B’s’n ‘s Mate on both of those fine ships.
I agree. WHy don’t we post what our targets are, what the planes are carrying, etc. Jeez. All for the purpose of reporting news. The media, in many situations, are pathetic.
Keep in mind some stories like this might be deliberate planned leaks.
That said, you cannot keep the entire fuel supply chain top secret, especially in today’s world.
Last I remember was there was one of those T-2 type tankers still being used, but for point to point trips. All of the re-fueling hoses had been removed. The last time I saw it was in Pearl, 4-5 years ago.
It’s interesting because its virtually a carbon copy of the type of articles about fuel tenders before the Afghan and Iraqi conflicts began.
Well, that’d be a good demonstration...reminds me of Yakov Smirnoff, the Russian commedian, on warning shots: “In Russia we have warning shot: they shoot you as warning to the next guy...”
I worked for Military Sealift Command for 15 years . Mostly tankers that refuel the ships at Sea . I was on a Tanker in the persian Gulf during Operation Desert Storm . There is another port to pick up fuel in the Gulf . Jebel Ali in the UAE . Been there many times . BTW A million barrels of oil is a small tanker. Deigo Garcia is a several day trip to the Gulf . Prepositioned ships there have but one refueling sta and do not refuel Navy ships , They refuel MSC tankers , First light to sun down , At several thousand gallons a min , The MSC tanker may not be full .This Senior misses the excitement n travel. A Cancer scare ended my sailing days.
I worked for Military Sealift Command for 15 years . Mostly tankers that refuel the ships at Sea . I was on a Tanker in the persian Gulf during Operation Desert Storm . There is another port to pick up fuel in the Gulf . Jebel Ali in the UAE . Been there many times . BTW A million barrels of oil is a small tanker. Deigo Garcia is a several day trip to the Gulf . Prepositioned ships there have but one refueling sta and do not refuel Navy ships , They refuel MSC tankers , First light to sun down , At several thousand gallons a min , The MSC tanker may not be full .This Senior misses the excitement n travel. A Cancer scare ended my sailing days.
GW is no lame duck. The DEM Congress has showed itself to be very lame in their promises to lose the Iraq War for the Dem voters.
If destroying Iran’s military capabilities and government is part of a new world order, then that’s fine with me.
The press will use the lame duck phrase next year in step with concocting a reccesion, in order for CNN to interview “everyday” Americans who want change.
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