Kharg Island

Kharg Island is an Iranian island in the Persian Gulf, about 25 kilometres off Iran’s coast. It hosts the country’s principal crude-oil export terminal.

Kharg Island oil terminal: An offshore oil-loading complex on Kharg Island that handles most of Iran’s crude exports. This terminal is the island’s defining industrial facility and its main role in global oil trade.
Single-point mooring: An offshore buoy system that anchors a tanker while allowing it to load or unload liquid cargo. Offshore moorings let large tankers load crude where the island’s coastal waters are suitable.
Abadan Refinery: A major Iranian oil refinery established in the early twentieth century on Abadan Island. Abadan’s industrial role preceded Kharg’s rise as Iran’s principal crude-export hub.
Oil embargo: A restriction or prohibition on the sale of oil to a country or group of countries. Restrictions on Iranian exports can sharply reduce the use and value of Kharg’s terminal.
Operation Morvarid: An Iranian naval and air operation against Iraqi forces during the Iran–Iraq War in November 1980. Its early-war actions formed part of the struggle over Persian Gulf facilities and shipping.
National Iranian Oil Company: Iran’s state-owned company responsible for oil and natural-gas exploration, production, and related operations. The company operates the export infrastructure that makes Kharg central to Iran’s petroleum industry.
Oil pipeline: A long-distance conduit that transports crude oil or petroleum products between facilities. Pipelines bring crude from inland fields to Kharg’s storage and loading infrastructure.
Iranian oil industry: The network of oil exploration, production, refining, and export developed in Iran since the early twentieth century. Kharg’s terminal emerged from the expansion of Iran’s petroleum infrastructure.
Economic sanctions against Iran: Government-imposed restrictions intended to constrain Iran’s economic activity or influence its policies. Sanctions have repeatedly limited the markets and shipping options available to Kharg’s crude.
Operation Praying Mantis: A 1988 U.S. naval operation against Iranian forces in the Persian Gulf. The operation followed a mine strike during the wider conflict threatening Gulf shipping and oil infrastructure.

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Bushehr ProvinceBroader topic: The island hosts Iran’s principal crude-oil export terminal.