CPC's oil pipeline project to be completed by Monday

The oil pipeline project connecting the Colombo Port and the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC)’s storage facility in Kolonnawa will be completed by next Monday (Jul 15), a top Petroleum Ministry official said.

The project – the laying of a 12-inch five kilometer pipeline, had been met with resistance recently since squatters in Bloemendhal were affected during the final phase of its construction. However, an agreement was reached to relocate squatter families at a cost of Rs 1.7 billion.

The supplying of imported fuel from oil tankers at the Port to the storage facility in Kolonnawa is expected to take place within a couple of days through this piepline, Petroleum Resources Development Ministry Secretary Sunil Hettiarachchi said.

He pointed out that the government had to incur higher demurrage costs previously due to the unloading fuel which usually took about a week through the old supply line. Operations through the new pipeline will commence next Monday, Mr. Hettirachchi noted.

(Reporting by Damith Wickramasekara)

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