Skikda, in the east of Algeria, loads naphtha, LNG, condensate, crude oil and refined products from its oil and gas jetties and the New Port. Our local office in Skikda handles every call.
At a glance
- UN/LOCODE
- DZSKI
- Position
- 36°53′35″N, 6°57′00″E
- Charts
- BA 252, BA 855
- Local time
- UTC+1 all year
- Port control
- VHF 14
- Terminal
- VHF 11, working 11
- Pilots
- VHF 16, working 14
- ISPS
- Port ID 15990
- Night movements
- No night restriction at P1 and P2; P3 depends on the weather
- Cargoes
- Naphtha, LNG, condensate, crude oil and refined products
Berths
| Berth | Cargo | Max LOA | Max draft | Connection | Loading |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P2, New Port | Oil and products | 225 m | 12.5 m | 2 × 12″ hoses, port side | about 2,500 m³/h; about 17 h if all goes well |
| P3, New Port | Oil and products | 265 m | 13.5 m | 2 × 16″ hoses, port side | about 5,400 m³/h; about 18 h if all goes well |
- Water depth: 16 m alongside P2 and P3, with an 18 m approach channel. P2 is a conventional jetty, not a sea line.
- Mooring: 8 lines forward and 8 aft. Ships use their own ropes; wires are accepted.
- H2S: send the H2S levels in the tanks to the surveyors only, who advise on the levels and any restrictions.
- P1 had the same limits as P2 in our earlier port information (225 m, 12.5 m draft); ask us to confirm before fixing a ship for P1. For the SPM, ask us for the terminal’s current figures.
Arrival
- Send ETA notices to the suppliers, the terminal and us 96, 72, 48, 24 and 12 hours before arrival, then the NOR.
- Send the documents 72 hours ahead so we can enter the ship in the port system (the list is below), and the ISPS form to the port facility security officer 48 hours ahead, with the Maritime Declaration of Health, copying us.
- Hoist the Algerian flag on arrival The coastguard checks it as soon as the ship reaches the roads, and can fine a ship that hasn’t.
- Drift until called Anchoring is not permitted for tankers at Skikda unless port control instructs it. Drift where port control tells you, within VHF range.
- Clear in The master signs a declaration that the ship is seaworthy and holds every certificate required. Logbooks, certificates and registers are inspected.
- Sail promptly Declare sailing at least 2 hours ahead. Tankers and gas carriers must sail as soon as the shipper’s, police and customs formalities are done; the agent cannot ask for a delay.
Good to know
- Free pratique: at P1, P2, P3 or the SPM it is granted by a visiting sanitary officer, if the health declaration is in order; inside the harbour, by the health officer who boards.
- In winter, swell can send tankers out to the roads, or need tugs to hold them alongside to finish loading. These extra costs are for the owner’s account.
- Sonatrach, as shipper, gives the ship a copy of the cargo’s safety data sheet.
Pilots and tugs
- Pilotage is compulsory. The pilot boards in the waiting zone and agrees the passage plan with the master.
- Rig the pilot ladder on the lee side, 1 m above the water. Large ships in ballast rig a combination with the accommodation ladder, about 5 m above the water.
- Tugs are compulsory for ships over 1,500 GT. The port authority sets the number by length (table below); a safety standby tug is compulsory throughout the call at the buoys.
- The pilot may call an extra tug for safety, with a written report. The ranges assume normal weather.
- Ships over 280 m long must take a second pilot (Skikda port tariff 2026).
- The ship supplies the towlines, in good condition and suited to the manoeuvre. Sign the pilotage bills with the particulars on the class-approved certificate (the reduced gross tonnage for a ship with segregated ballast tanks).
Tugs for tankers and gas carriers, by length overall
| Length overall | Tugs in | Tugs out |
|---|---|---|
| 80 to 115 m | 2 (1 hour) | 1 (1 hour) |
| 115 to 135 m | 2 (2 hours) | 2 (1 hour) |
| 135 to 169 m | 3 (3 hours) | 2 (1 hour) |
| 169 to 210 m | 4 (3 hours) | 3 (1 hour) |
| 210 to 250 m | 5 (3 hours) | 4 (2 hours) |
| Over 250 m | 6 (4 hours) | 5 (2 hours) |
| At the buoys (SPM), 80 to 320 m | 2 | 1 |
Hours are the time of the manoeuvre. The same table applies to oil, product and chemical tankers and to LNG and LPG carriers; only the length counts.
Documents
Before arrival
Send copies to us as early as possible; the Algerian authorities ask for them before the ship arrives.
- General declaration
- Cargo declaration
- Bonded stores list
- Crew effects declaration
- Crew lists
- Passenger list
- Dangerous cargo manifest
- Cargo manifest, or “no cargo on board”
- Copy of the certificate of registry
- Copy of the International Tonnage Certificate
- Copy of the ship’s particulars
- International Ship Security Certificate
- Oil pollution liability insurance certificate
- Stowage plan
- Maritime Declaration of Health
- Vaccination list
- Crew temperature list
- Last ports of call
- Ship sanitation certificate
- Nil list
- Narcotics list
- Arrival draft
On arrival, by authority
Have them ready, dated, signed and stamped, when the officials board.
Harbour master 11 items
- Ballast declaration (tankers, free form stating quantity and type)
- Certificate of registry
- Safety construction certificate
- Safety equipment certificate
- Passenger ship safety certificate
- Load line certificate
- Safety radio certificate
- Fire extinguisher certificate
- Cargo gear certificate
- IOPP certificate
- The harbour master’s declaration, completed
Health 5 items
- Crew list
- Crew vaccination list
- Maritime Declaration of Health
- Narcotics list
- Last 10 ports of call
Customs 12 items
- Ship’s currency declaration
- Crew currency declaration
- Crew list
- Crew effects declaration
- Bonded stores list
- Narcotics list
- Nil list
- Dangerous goods declaration
- Ship’s equipment list (TV, video…)
- Vaccination list
- Maritime Declaration of Health
- Last 10 ports of call
Coastguard 12 items
- Ship’s currency declaration
- Crew currency declaration
- Crew list
- Crew effects declaration
- Bonded stores list
- Narcotics list
- Nil list
- Dangerous goods declaration
- Ship’s equipment list (TV, video…)
- Vaccination list
- Maritime Declaration of Health
- Last 10 ports of call
Immigration 6 items
- 2 crew lists
- 2 narcotics lists
- 2 copies of the ship’s particulars
- 2 nil lists
- 2 dangerous goods declarations
- 2 lists of the last 10 ports of call
Agent 14 items
- Clearance from the last port
- Ship’s currency declaration
- Crew currency declaration
- 2 crew lists
- Crew effects declaration
- Bonded stores list
- Narcotics list
- Nil list
- Dangerous goods declaration
- Copy of the certificate of registry
- Copy of the International Tonnage Certificate
- Copy of the ship’s particulars
- Cargo manifest, or “no cargo on board”
- Last 10 ports of call
Shipper 4 items
- Crew list
- Vessel experience factor (VEF)
- Ship’s particulars
- SCAC code, if any, on a stamped and signed document
Weather at Skikda
Loading the forecast…
Days are flagged when the wind reaches 25 knots, gusts 34 knots or the sea 2.5 m. They are a prompt to plan, not a port closure: the harbour master and the pilots decide. Forecast: Open-Meteo (ECMWF and Météo-France models), CC BY 4.0.
Questions
How many tugs does a tanker need at Skikda?
It depends on the ship’s length: from 2 tugs in and 1 out for 80 to 115 m, up to 6 in and 5 out over 250 m, under the port authority’s circular of 31 March 2024. At the buoys it is 2 in and 1 out, with a standby tug throughout.
Does a large tanker need two pilots at Skikda?
Yes, ships over 280 m long must take a second pilot.
What are the limits at Skikda P2 and P3?
P2 New Port takes ships up to 225 m and 12.5 m draft; P3 New Port up to 265 m and 13.5 m draft. Both have 16 m of water alongside and an 18 m approach channel.
Can ships anchor off Skikda?
Not tankers, unless port control instructs it. Ships waiting for a berth drift where port control tells them.
Can ships berth at night at Skikda?
Yes at P1 and P2. At P3 it depends on the weather.
Is there overtime on berthing at Skikda?
No. Overtime has not applied to berthing and unberthing at Skikda since 1 January 2019.
When should ETA notices be sent for Skikda?
96, 72, 48, 24 and 12 hours before arrival, to the suppliers, the terminal and the agent, then the NOR.
Our Skikda office
Cité des Frères Khalid, BT 03 EPLF N8, Skikda 21000
+213 38 76 55 94
ops@sermarineshipping.com
Berth figures and procedures from our port information to vessels, as last sent in May 2025 (P2) and October 2025 (P3); tug numbers from the Skikda port authority’s circular of 31 March 2024. They are indicative: port control and the terminal have the last word, so ask us for the latest before your call.