Temporary closure of Sapugaskanda refinery
View(s):The Sapugaskanda oil refinery will close down tomorrow (Monday) due to a depletion of the existing stock of crude oil, a senior official of the Ceylon Petroleum Storage Terminals Ltd told the Business Times.
“The next crude oil shipment is expected to arrive at Colombo Port by the third week of December and until such time the refinery will have to be kept shut,” he said.
Output from the Sapugaskanda oil refinery meets 40 percent of
Sri Lanka’s demand for refined fuels, while the government imports 60 percent of the refined petrol and diesel consumed domestically.
The shipment of 90,000 metric tonnes which is expected in late December is sufficient only for 15 days and the next shipment is due to arrive by mid-January, he disclosed.
Energy Minister Udaya Gammanpila said that the current stock of crude oil was only sufficient to refine petroleum till tomorrow but assured that there won’t be any petrol or diesel shortage in the country. The Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) has processed sufficient stocks of refined fuel and necessary contracts to bring down refined fuel haves been finalized, he told the Business Times.
However he noted that a kerosene shortage cannot be avoided due to a sudden increase in demand following the LNG short supply in the country. Kerosene is a byproduct of crude oil refining process locally, he said adding that the shutdown of the refinery will affect this supply.