PNSC plans building of additional oil storage capacities at Keamari

A high level meeting was chaired by Senator Mir Hasil Khan Bizenjo, Federal Minister for Ports & Shipping to discuss “Building of Additional Oil Storage Capacities at Keamari Oil Installation Area” held at Pakistan National Shipping Corporation Head Office Karachi today i.e. 13th April 2017. This meeting was attended by government stakeholders including Chairman PNSC, Chairman KPT, officials from Ministry of Defence, Pakistan Navy, Pakistan State Oil, PARCO, PRL, NRL, OCAC and other stakeholders from private sector.

The Federal Minister for Ports & Shipping emphasized the importance of increasing and efficiently utilizing already available oil storage capacity in the country as these are critical to security and the growth of the national economy.

Further, He highlighted the losses being incurred by the national economy as a result of inefficiencies in the crude oil and oil products discharge and storage/handling capacity of oil at KPT and the Keamari Oil Installation Area (OIA). He stressed the need to urgently address these inefficiencies in the national interest through consensus between the stakeholders.

The Minister directed KPT to identify the available land for utilizing it towards increasing of storage capacity at Keamari. The said increase would facilitate in increasing import efficiencies. The Minister also instructed OMCs to find ways and means of increasing efficiencies at their end.

At the end Minister informed the participants that he will take up the matter with the Prime Minister of Pakistan at importance of improving crude oil and oil products handling at Keamari. He said that the matter of NOC would be taken up with National Security Council (NSC) and shall be duly reviewed by the Cabinet Committee on Defence Planning to allow exemption to PNSC for increasing storage/handling capacity of oil at Keamari which will resultantly improve the port infrastructure.

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