LNG supply to continue uninterrupted as silting issue at Port Qasim resolved

ISLAMABAD: The LNG Terminal of Engro Vopak Terminal Limited (EVTL) at Port Qasim, Karachi,  has faced the silting issue endangering the movement of the LNG carriers, which might lead to disruption of imported gas supply, sources privy to the development told The News.

More importantly, the terminal has been erected at the Port Qasim without conducting study on rate of silt deposits’ at the site. The RLNG has now become the lifeline of Pakistan’s economy and textile sector in Punjab is getting the RLNG round the clock owing to which the industrial sector has started performing. “Besides, fertilizers and CNG sectors have also become vibrant and people in general have got a sigh of relief. But the siltation issue has posed persistent danger to the wheel of economy running purely on imported product,” the sources argued. They said that China Harbor Engineering Company didn’t do good job with dredging and the terminal will have to be closed, FRSU (floating regasification and storage unit) moved and fresh dredging done. “And this may cause the disruption in LNG supplies.”

However, when contacted, spokesmen of the Engro terminal company said: “Yes, we faced the silting issue, but we have overcome it successfully ensuring the smooth and uninterrupted supply of RLNG to the country.” He forcefully dispelled the impression that China Harbor Engineering Company failed to do de-silting with dredging saying the Chinese company has successfully done its job and only for one day, FRSU got displaced to remove the silt piled up at the site of terminal with dredging and without wasting any time, FRSU was again placed at its earlier place prior to arriving the LNG carrier in water channel. “In the wake of swift action in de-silting the site, we managed un-interrupted supply of LNG,” spokesman claimed.

However, the spokesman admitted that no study on silting issue was carried out prior to construction of the LNG terminal. Now the survey about the deposits of the silt has been completed in 7 months which has identified that the terminal will face the said issue for which the company has carved out a plan not allowing the silt to get deposited at the site.

The DG LNG when contacted confirmed that there is no LNG supply interruption and he is not aware about the development that terminal operator is facing the said issue. He said under the agreement, the dredging of the silt is the sole responsibility of the terminal company — EVTL.  

However, chairman of Port Qasim Authority Agha Jan Akhter when contacted said that accumulation of the silt and its dredging is a routine issue.  Whenever, the terminal is constructed the sea behaves naturally and fills the dredged site with silt. But the site is de-silted to make traffic flow of LNG carriers smooth to and from the site. He disclosed saying the same issue edible oil terminal company is now facing and it will also dredge the silt accordingly. When asked if PQA had asked EVTL to do study on the silting while extending the NOC for construction of LNG terminal, he said under the agreement terminal operator is responsible for dealing with the issue of silt.