Amid tension with US, why did Iran revive 30-year-old tanker Nasha? Know what role does Kharg island have to play here
Iran has started using a decades-old oil tanker as floating storage after crude stockpiles at Kharg Island, the country’s main oil export hub, reached near full capacity. The move comes as sanctions and naval restrictions have sharply reduced exports, leaving Tehran with limited options to manage rising oil production.
Kharg Island handles more than 90 per cent of Iran’s crude output and can store around 30 million barrels of oil. With exports slowing, officials are now using the old tanker Nasha as a temporary storage unit at sea.
Why Iran has reactivated the tanker ‘Nasha’
The tanker Nasha, which had reportedly remained unused for nearly 30 years, is now being brought back into service to store excess crude oil that cannot be shipped out immediately.
This step is aimed at reducing pressure on the storage tanks at Kharg Island, where available space is rapidly shrinking.
According to reports, only around 13 million barrels of storage space remain, while oil continues to flow in at nearly 1 to 1.1 million barrels per day. At this rate, the remaining capacity could be exhausted within 12 to 13 days.
Kharg Island faces growing pressure
Kharg Island is Iran’s most important oil terminal and serves as the main gateway for crude exports.
Recent satellite imagery from tanker-tracking platforms reportedly showed multiple tankers loading crude from the terminal, with a combined volume of nearly 5 million barrels.
However, with exports affected by restrictions in the Strait of Hormuz, oil is accumulating faster than it can be moved out.
This has created serious pressure on Iran’s storage infrastructure.
Why can’t Iran simply stop oil production?
Oil wells depend on underground pressure systems involving gas, water, and rock formations. If production is stopped suddenly, it can disturb this balance.
In older oil fields, especially those using water-injection systems, halting production may allow water to enter the oil-bearing rock layers.
This can permanently trap part of the oil underground and reduce the field’s long-term productivity.
For this reason, Iran continues to produce oil even as storage space tightens.
Old tanker is only a temporary solution
The use of the tanker Nasha is being seen as a short-term fix rather than a permanent solution.
If export restrictions continue and storage tanks reach full capacity, Iran may eventually be forced to reduce production despite the risks.
Such a move could cause long-term damage to oil wells and further strain the country’s economy, which heavily depends on crude exports.
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