Suez Canal Introduction power point.pptx

Introduction Suez Canal

1. July 2011 Suez Canal

2. Suez Canal opened to traffic in November 1869 It was built by Frenchman Ferdinand de Lesseps using Egyptian forced labor; an estimated 120,000 workers died during construction It stretches 192km (120 miles) between the Mediterranean and the Red Sea; It is 300m (984ft) wide at its narrowest point By 1955 approximately two-thirds of Europe's oil passed through the canal, The waterway closed 1967 due to the Six Day War, reopened 1975. About 7.5% of world sea trade is carried via the canal today

3. The Suez Canal is located in Egypt, and connects the Red Sea and Gulf of Suez with the Mediterranean Sea, covering 120 miles. Petroleum (both crude oil and refined products) accounted for 16 percent of Suez cargos, measured by cargo tonnage, in 2009. An estimated 1.0 million bbl /d of crude oil and refined petroleum products flowed northbound through the Suez Canal to the Mediterranean Sea in 2009, while 0.8 million bbl /d travelled southbound into the Red Sea. This represents a decline from 2008, when 1.6 million bbl /d of oil transited northbound to Europe and other developed economies. Introduction

4. Almost 35,000 ships transited the Suez Canal in 2009, of which about 10 percent were petroleum tankers. With only 1,000 feet at its narrowest point, the Canal is unable to handle the VLCC (Very Large Crude Carriers) and ULCC (Ultra Large Crude Carriers) class crude oil tankers. The Suez Canal Authority is continuing enhancement and enlargement projects on the canal, and extended the depth to 66 ft in 2010 to allow over 60 percent of all tankers to use the Canal. Numbers of ships transiting canal

5. The canal cuts through 3 lakes, the Lake Manzala , in the north which is protected from the canal with a bedding on its western side, the Lake Timsah in the middle, and the Bitter Lakes further south. The Bitter Lakes make up almost 30 km of the total length. Canal & Lakes?

6. Closure of the Suez Canal and the SUMED Pipeline would divert tankers around the southern tip of Africa, the Cape of Good Hope, adding 6,000 miles to transit. SUMED?

7. Thank you….