Castor oil is shipped in four main ways: drums or IBCs, flexitanks in a 20 ft container, ISO tank containers, and ship tanks for very large parcels. The right choice depends on your volume, grade, receiving equipment and how the oil will be used.
Industrial grades often move in flexitanks or ship tanks. Pharma and cosmetic grades usually move in drums or IBCs, where each batch stays separate and clean.
The options compared
- Drums: steel or HDPE drums of around 200 litres, palletised in a container. Best for small orders, high grades and buyers without bulk tanks. Packing costs more per kilo, and drums need good lids and seals.
- IBCs: 1,000 litre intermediate bulk containers on a pallet. A middle option for cosmetic and specialty buyers who decant on site.
- Flexitanks: a single-use bag that fills a 20 ft container, roughly 16,000 to 24,000 litres depending on the bag, the line and road weight limits. Low cost per tonne for a full load, but you need a pump and a tank at the other end.
- ISO tanks: a steel tank in a container frame, often around 20,000 to 26,000 litres. Reusable, strong and easy to heat, but costlier and the tank has to be returned or repositioned.
- Ship tanks: castor oil parcels of hundreds or thousands of tonnes move in chemical or vegetable oil tankers, much of it through Kandla (Deendayal). This suits large industrial buyers with terminal access.
Points to settle before booking
- Weight: castor oil is dense, so a full flexitank or ISO tank can hit container or road limits before it is full by volume. Ask for the last actual net weight loaded of the same grade.
- Viscosity and temperature: castor oil is thick and gets thicker in the cold. For winter arrivals in cold climates, ask whether a heating pad or steam coils are needed to discharge.
- Cleanliness: for ISO tanks and ship tanks, ask for the previous cargoes and a cleaning certificate. Residues from another product can affect colour, acid value and odour.
- Line acceptance: not every shipping line accepts flexitanks on every route. Your forwarder should confirm the booking and the bag's certification.
- Sampling: agree where samples are drawn, at loading, from the shore tank or from each drum, and how they are sealed.
- Discharge: check that your site has the right fittings, pump and storage. A flexitank arriving at a site without a pump is an expensive problem.
Which one should you choose?
As a rough guide, drums and IBCs suit orders up to a few tonnes, high grades and buyers who use the oil in batches. Flexitanks suit regular full-container industrial orders. ISO tanks suit buyers who need heating, high cleanliness or repeated shipments of the same product. Packing for edible oils follows similar logic, covered in how edible oil is packed for export.
Whatever you choose, the pack, quantity per container and loading method should be in the contract. Our guide on writing an agri product specification shows how to set it out.
How we help
We confirm the pack and weight with the crusher, check drums, IBCs or tank cleanliness before filling, and supervise loading and sealing at the plant. We also draw and seal samples at loading so any later dispute has a clear reference. Start with a free sourcing review.