"A ship transporting 100,000 tonnes of Saudi oil is in the port," Batayneh said.

He stressed Jordan had sufficient oil reserves and was getting regular shipments, but did not elaborate.

Jordan welcomed a first shipment of Saudi crude in late March, the first in more than than 10 years, after supplies from Iraq were cut by the launch of the US-led war against Saddam Hussein's regime.

Until then, the kingdom had been totally dependent on Iraq for oil shipments, transported across the border by road.

Soures have told AFP Saudi Arabia would deliver oil free to Jordan for three months to compensate for the loss of Iraqi crude.

Half of the Iraqi shipments had been free and the other half sold at preferential prices.

Jordan consumes more than five million tonnes of crude oil and other oil products annually.

SPACE.WIRE