A technical issue has been observed in the pipeline infrastructure of Nepal Oil Corporation located in Amlekhgunj. According to the corporation, the technical problem has appeared in the infrastructure developed under the second phase, even before its formal inauguration. As per the corporation, the issue has occurred in the area where the loading bay/TLF shed is constructed, connected to the fuel storage tanks.

According to the corporation, during the process of loading fuel into tankers, vibrations occur, alignment shifts, and the pipes appear to be bent. The pipeline at the loading bay has shifted forward by about 10 cm, said Chandika Prasad Bhatta, Managing Director of the corporation.

“During the loading of diesel and petrol, there is excessive pressure on the pipeline. That is why some movement has occurred in the loading bay inside the depot. It is estimated that due to the high pressure, the pipe has shifted forward by about 10 cm,” said Bhatt. “During loading, when the pump is started, vibrations are observed in the pipe. It appears that the valve has not been able to release the pressure effectively.”

He stated that after the problem was observed in the pipeline, Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) was informed about 10 days ago. However, information has been received that IOC’s technical team will arrive on July 30. The corporation has said that the pipeline will be shut down for a few days for repairs once the technical team arrives. However, Bhatt assured that there will be no shortage in the market.

“When operated at high pressure (7/8 bar), there is a risk. But at 4/5 bar, the pressure is lower. Even if it takes more time to load, there is no risk,” said Bhatt. “Until the technical team arrives, we have managed the operations accordingly. Even if the pipeline is shut down during the repair, we will ensure there is no shortage.”

The problem currently seen is not the first time. A similar issue had occurred two months ago as well. When problems arose during the loading of petrol and diesel, IOC’s technical team had come and carried out repairs. The pipeline had been shut down for six days. Now, the issue has resurfaced. “There is no problem until the oil arrives through the pipeline and is stored,” he said.

“The problem has been observed in the pipeline during the process of loading fuel from the storage tank to the tanker via the loading bay,” said Pralayankar Acharya, Chief of the Regional Office of the Corporation in Amlekhgunj. “There is a risk that the pipe might break due to some issues in the pipeline.” He stated that the problem observed at the depot has been reported to the central office. The much-anticipated Nepal–India cross-border petroleum pipeline project was officially inaugurated on September 10, 2019.

Nepal’s Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi had jointly inaugurated the Amlekhgunj–Motihari petroleum pipeline by pressing a switch. Under the first phase, diesel was imported through the pipeline. The corporation’s goal under the second phase was to import petrol and kerosene via the pipeline. The second phase was completed through joint investment by IOC and the corporation. Under this phase, the corporation invested NPR 1.54 billion, while IOC invested INR 750 million.

Under the second phase, the corporation has constructed additional infrastructure including 4 more storage tanks, a loading bay, and a state-of-the-art laboratory, bringing the depot into automation. To fully automate the loading process, 24 loading bays have been constructed. Within these 24 bays, 36 filling points have been installed. Among them, 7 are for bottom loading and 8 for top loading of petrol. For diesel, 4 are for bottom loading and 14 for top loading. According to the corporation, there is one bottom loading point for kerosene.

The responsibility for constructing the pipeline was taken by IOC. For the infrastructure development, IOC had entrusted the Indian company Likhita International. According to the agreement, the project was supposed to be completed by March 2024, but there was a delay. The corporation had been preparing to import petrol and kerosene through the pipeline since last December/January, but it was not successful. However, IOC had not set an inauguration date. Despite repeated reminders from the corporation, IOC delayed the process, so the corporation started importing petrol and kerosene from the last week of January/February. Now, a problem has been detected at the TLF shed.

“For repairs, the pipeline needs to be shut down for a maximum of 7 days. However, the existing fuel in storage can be distributed. Loading can also be done from the old depot,” said Acharya. “The Amlekhgunj depot can store 25,500 kiloliters of diesel and 17,500 kiloliters of petrol. Daily sales range from 3,000 to 3,500 kiloliters. Based on this, there will be no shortage even if the pipeline is shut down for 7 days.” Fuel is sent from Amlekhgunj to the depots in Thankot, Pokhara, Bhairahawa, Biratnagar, and Janakpur.

Source: Kantipur