Japan’s Akazawa Inspects Oil Storage Base in Kagoshima Pref.

Kagoshima, May 31 (Jiji Press)–Japanese industry minister Ryosei Akazawa inspected Eneos Corp.’s Kiire oil storage base in the southwestern Japan city of Kagoshima on Sunday. Kiire is one of the facilities from which state oil reserves were released earlier this year following the de facto blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a global oil chokepoint, amid the deterioration in the Middle East situation. Following the inspection, Akazawa told reporters that he was able to check operations at the Kiire terminal, adding, “We hope to continue securing the necessary amount oil while curbing the release of government reserves through procurement from sources (other than the Middle East).” At the Kiire base, oil held by Eneos, a major Japanese oil wholesaler, and the Japanese government as well as reserves of oil-producing countries are stored in 57 tanks. Also, imported crude oil is transported to refineries in Japan from the base. Akazawa observed work to load crude oil into a small tanker through pipes. He also inspected a central control facility and entered a crude oil storage tank. The Eneos Endeavor tanker, which has passed through the Strait of Hormuz, is slated to arrive at the Kiire terminal as early as Wednesday. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]