Top 10 Tank Terminals Latin America 2026: Ranked

Tank terminals Latin America handle the storage and export of crude oil, refined products, and chemicals across a region producing more than 8 million barrels of oil per day. Brazil alone accounts for the bulk of VLCC-class export activity, while Argentina, Colombia, Venezuela, Mexico, and Panama operate strategically critical facilities tied to both domestic supply and international trade routes. The 10 facilities ranked here represent the region’s most significant bulk liquid storage assets by capacity, throughput, and infrastructure importance in 2026.

How We Ranked the Top 10 Tank Terminals Latin America

Rankings are based on a combination of storage capacity, annual throughput, cargo type significance (crude export, refined product import, chemical parcel), and strategic location relative to major maritime routes and pipeline systems. State-owned assets are included where their scale and function make them dominant regional players. Facilities focused solely on container handling or dry bulk are excluded.

1. Vast Infraestrutura T-Oil Terminal — Port of Açu, Brazil

The largest privately operated oil terminal in Brazil and the only facility capable of receiving Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs) at dedicated private infrastructure. The terminal at Port of Açu processed a record 60.4 million tonnes of crude oil in its most recent operating year, handling roughly half of Brazil’s total crude exports through ship-to-ship transshipment operations. No other single asset among the tank terminals Latin America can match this throughput scale.

2. Cattalini Terminais Marítimos — Port of Paranaguá, Brazil

Cattalini is Brazil’s premier independent liquid bulk operator, with total storage capacity exceeding 1 million cubic metres across multiple tank farms at the Port of Paranaguá. The terminal handles petroleum products, chemicals, and vegetable oils, serving both export and domestic distribution functions. Paranaguá’s container throughput grew 37% between 2019 and 2023, making it one of the fastest-growing port areas in Latin America and reinforcing Cattalini’s strategic position.

3. TEMADRE — Bahia, Brazil

TEMADRE (Transpetro’s Madre de Deus Terminal) is the primary logistical hub for crude oil and refined product distribution across Brazil’s North and Northeast regions. Operated by Transpetro, the logistics subsidiary of Petrobras, the facility handles storage, domestic pipeline distribution, and export movements. Its position in Bahia places it at the intersection of Brazil’s refining corridor and the Atlantic export lane.

4. Puerto Bahía Liquids Terminal — Cartagena, Colombia

Puerto Bahía in Cartagena operates as Colombia’s primary pipeline-connected export gateway for crude oil and refined products. The highly automated terminal sits within one of Latin America’s busiest port areas — Cartagena Bay handled 3.3 million TEUs in 2023, the fifth-largest port complex in the region. The terminal’s direct pipeline connectivity makes it a core piece of Colombia’s hydrocarbon export infrastructure.

5. Jose Terminal — Anzoátegui, Venezuela

The Jose Terminal complex, operated by state oil company PDVSA, is the primary marine loading facility for Venezuela’s heavy and extra-heavy crude blends from the Orinoco Belt — home to the world’s largest proven oil reserves. Despite Venezuela’s production constraints in 2026, the Jose complex remains structurally significant among tank terminals Latin America due to its raw scale and the volume of heavy crude processed through its marine loading arms.

6. Melones Oil Terminal — Panama

Strategically positioned at the Pacific entrance to the Panama Canal, Melones provides more than 2.1 million barrels of storage capacity dedicated to fuel oil and marine gasoil. The terminal functions primarily as a bunkering hub for global shipping traffic transiting the Canal, making it one of the most strategically placed facilities across the tank terminals Latin America network. Panama’s combined port throughput of over 8 million TEUs across the Caribbean and Pacific sides in 2023 underlines the Canal corridor’s importance.

7. VTTI Zárate Terminal — Buenos Aires, Argentina

VTTI‘s Zárate terminal on the Paraná River is Argentina’s leading import and distribution facility for Clean Petroleum Products (CPP). The terminal serves as the main entry point for refined products feeding Buenos Aires and the broader Argentinian market. VTTI expanded total capacity at Zárate in response to growing domestic demand, reinforcing its position as the dominant independent operator in the Southern Cone’s liquid bulk sector.

8. Tuxpan Liquid Bulk Terminals — Veracruz, Mexico

The Tuxpan terminal cluster on Mexico’s Gulf Coast — including facilities operated by Monterra Energy — serves as the primary refined product import gateway for Mexico City and the Valle de México. Gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel move from Tuxpan directly into pipeline systems feeding the country’s largest demand centre. Veracruz handled 1.15 million TEUs in 2023 and remains Mexico’s principal Gulf cargo corridor.

9. Odfjell Granel Terminals — São Luís / Itaqui, Brazil

Part of the Stolthaven-rival Impala-era network of independent chemical terminal operators with a South American presence, Odfjell Granel‘s São Luís facilities (T1 and T2) provide substantial storage for chemicals, ethanol, and petroleum products entering Brazil’s northeastern agricultural corridors via the Port of Itaqui. The combined capacity positions this as one of the most specialised chemical storage assets among the tank terminals Latin America.

10. Navios South America Liquid Terminal — San Antonio, Paraguay

Navios operates the largest independent storage facility in Paraguay, with 65,660 cbm of static capacity on the Hidrovía Waterway. The terminal ensures refined petroleum product security for both landlocked Paraguay and Bolivia, two of the region’s most import-dependent energy markets. Its position on the Hidrovía makes it a critical inland node within the broader tank terminals Latin America infrastructure network.

Tank Terminals Latin America: Summary Comparison

Tank Terminals Latin America: What to Watch in 2026

Brazil’s pre-salt production expansion continues to drive VLCC export volumes through Port of Açu, while Mexico’s state-driven midstream modernisation is gradually opening import infrastructure to independent operators. The Hidrovía Waterway corridor — connecting Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Bolivia — is attracting growing investment in inland liquid bulk capacity. For a global perspective on bulk liquid storage infrastructure, the complete guide to tank terminals covers capacity benchmarks and operator rankings across all major regions.