LaycanDeskOman to India freight - Sohar, Duqm and Salalah to Kandla and Mundra
Limestone, gypsum, aggregates, urea and sulphur from the Omani coast into Gujarat on geared Handysize to Supramax tonnage. The desk's most-swept lane: Sohar, Duqm, Salalah and Port Sultan Qaboos to Kandla, Mundra and Hazira, for limestone, gypsum, aggregates, urea, sulphur and containers on multipurpose ships, fixed on Handysize to Supramax tonnage with the quarry or plant named first.
Oman loads outside the Strait of Hormuz, which is why its quarries and plants have become the short-haul supplier of choice for the Gujarat coast. Sohar and the Shinas quarries north of it ship limestone and crushed stone in Supramax lots of 50,000 to 60,000 tonnes; gypsum and aggregates go in Handysize and Handymax parcels of 25,000 to 45,000 tonnes; Duqm and Sohar load granular sulphur and urea for Kandla and Mundra. Discharge drafts of 12 to 14 metres at Kandla and 14 metres and more at Mundra and Hazira fit a laden Supramax, but Kandla's tidal berths and its rice congestion, with one ship waiting close to forty days in August, decide the discharge rate an owner will accept. The passage is three to four days, so a stem fixes and delivers within a fortnight. In the 13 September position-board sweep the desk sighted 321 hulls at Sohar, 94 at Duqm, 78 at Salalah and 170 at Kandla, the largest count on any lane it watches.
We work the lane from both ends at once. Charterers send us a stem with the cargo, the quarry or plant and its loading berth, the quantity and tolerance, load and discharge rates with laytime terms, laycan, commission and the charterer's name; without the producer and the charterer, nothing goes to owners. Owners and operators with geared Handysize, Handymax and Supramax tonnage opening in the Gulf, Oman or the west coast of India send positions, and the desk holds them against the stems on the board, together with multipurpose and feeder tonnage of 5,000 to 20,000 dwt for containers and breakbulk between Sohar, Duqm and Kandla. Every counterparty and every ship is screened by name and IMO number before an offer, and the charterer hears back with named ships, their positions and open dates rather than a general level. We work by email, and we reply the same day.
Load ports
- Sohar and Shinas (limestone, gypsum, aggregates)
- Duqm (sulphur, urea, breakbulk)
- Salalah (gypsum, containers, breakbulk)
- Port Sultan Qaboos (general cargo)
Discharge ports
- Kandla (tidal berths, about 12–14 m)
- Mundra (14 m and more)
- Hazira (deep-water berths)
- Also Chittagong and Mongla on the same stems
Typical parcels
- Limestone and crushed stone 50,000–60,000 t, Supramax
- Gypsum and aggregates 25,000–45,000 t, Handysize/Handymax
- Granular sulphur and urea 25,000–55,000 t
- Containers and breakbulk on 5,000–20,000 dwt MPP
Ships that carry it
The cargo itself, on Commbril
Questions charterers and owners ask
What draft can I use at Kandla, Mundra and Hazira?
Kandla's berths are tidal and work around 12 to 14 metres depending on the berth and the tide; Mundra and Hazira offer 14 metres and more. A laden Supramax draws about 12.5 to 13 metres, so most stems discharge in full, but the berth and the tide window need to be stated in the enquiry because owners price the waiting time.
What parcel sizes move on this lane?
Limestone and crushed stone in Supramax lots of 50,000 to 60,000 tonnes; gypsum and aggregates in Handysize and Handymax parcels of 25,000 to 45,000 tonnes; sulphur and urea from 25,000 tonnes up to a full Supramax. Containers and breakbulk between Sohar, Duqm and Kandla go on multipurpose and feeder ships of 5,000 to 20,000 dwt.
What loading rates do Omani ports work?
The Sohar and Shinas quarry berths load by shore loader or grab at rates that charterers typically state around 15,000 to 20,000 tonnes a day for limestone; discharge at Kandla is usually stated at 8,000 tonnes a day or so for stone. State the rates and the laytime terms in the stem, because the voyage is short and the port time decides the price.
What must I send to get a named ship?
Cargo and stowage factor, the quarry or plant and its loading berth, quantity and tolerance, load and discharge ports with their draft, load and discharge rates with laytime terms, laycan, commission and the charterer's name. With those, the stem goes to owners the same day; without the producer and the charterer it does not go at all.