LONDON, March 1 (Reuters) – Swiss-based independent
trader Mercuria Energy Group has never invited a strategic
partner to run an oil storage tank in South Africa, a senior
official said on Thursday, denying an earlier report.
“We have never approached anyone to invite to run the tank
in South Africa,” said Daniel Jaeggi, Mercuria’s vice president
and head of global trading.
Mercuria has been using one tank of the six in Saldanha Bay
under the contract from the state-controlled Strategic Fuel Fund
(SFF).
Earlier on Thursday market sources said Mercuria has been
looking to invite a strategic partner to run an oil storage tank
in South Africa when it renews the leasing contract. A company
spokesman declined to comment, having been contacted by Reuters.
Other contract holders at the Saldanha Bay include U.S. oil
major Chevron and U.S. bank Morgan Stanley, which
bought trader Masefield in 2010, which had held the original
leasing contract with SFF.
(Reporting by Ikuko Kurahone; editing by Keiron Henderson)
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