All oil facilities to be shifted from Karachi to Khalifa Point

[Naveed Yaseen]

ISLAMABAD (April 12 2009): The government has decided to shift all oil installations from Keamari and Karachi port areas to Khalifa Point in Hub area of Balochistan in 18 months period, due to security concerns. Sources said that the government has received reports about security threats regarding oil installations in Karachi, and decided to shift these installations to Hub area of Balochistan.

Dr Asim Hussain, advisor to Prime Minister on petroleum, has already conveyed the decision to the oil refineries that the country needs a single buoy mooring to cater all oil imports. In a meeting held with the representatives of refineries in Islamabad, Asim said that the decision of shifting oil installations to Hub area was lying pending for many years, and further delay would only add to the cost of operations for the stakeholders.

After detailed discussions, a committee was formed, headed by Adil Khattak, Managing Director of APL, comprising nominees of refineries and the task for framing TORs by April 20, 2009, was assigned to the OCAC. The committee is expected to give its report by the end of May 2009 for further processing.

The refineries were informed that there was a serious strategic concern over the presence of large oil storage depots in the areas, which is very close to the navy installations. "Any accident can cause serious damage to Naval crafts and fixed installations near the oil jetty of Keamari," said an official of the Petroleum Ministry.

The meeting examined in detail the need for single-point mooring, and it was agreed that such a project was an essential requirement to diversify the strategic port operation. Dr Asim said that single-buoy mooring would not only add to the efficiency of oil imports, as large marine tankers would be able to enter the country.

He said that the single-buoy mooring was a floating jetty connected with the land through a two kilometres pipeline, and the tankers arriving with oil would get connected to the jetty. He said that initially all installations related to crude oil imports would be shifted from Keamari to Khalifa Point. and in the second phase it would be utilised for the import of diesel and petrol also.

The refineries and oil companies would be shifting all their storage depots from Keamari to the Hub area. "It will also add to the safety of millions of residents living in Keamari to Defence area," The meeting was attended by Managing Directors/CEOs of Pak Arab Refinery (Parco), National Refinery (NRL), Pakistan Refinery (PRL), Bosicar Pakistan (BPL), Pakistan State Oil Company (PSO), Asia Petroleum (APL), Pak Arab Pipeline Company (Papco) and Secretary General of Oil Companies Advisory Committee.

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