Ship-to-Ship Operations of LPG Take Place at SMP Kolkata, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited at Sandheads
Ship-to-ship operations of LPG was undertaken by Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port, Kolkata, and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited at Sandheads — a stretch of open sea nearly 130 km from Halida.
To obviate the inherent channel constraints, SMP Kolkata has endeavoured to open up opportunity for importers to bring in Capesize or Baby Cape vessels at the deep drafted anchorages located at Sagar, Sandheads and X Point and enable handling of fully laden dry bulk vessels through deployment of floating or ship cranes.
Due to the strategically advantageous location, Haldia Dock Complex (HDC) has witnessed incremental demand from trade in terms of catering to LPG, imported POL products and other liquid cargo.
The gradual increase in the volumes of LPG imports at HDC is placed below:
Quantity of LPG imports at HDC in MT:
FY 2016-17: 20,22,520
FY 2017-18: 24,90,374
FY 2018-19: 34,61,547
FY 2019-20: 40,16,894
FY 2020-21: 48,48,193
Oil Manufacturing Companies such as Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited, Indian Oil Corporation Limited and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited pointed to the benefits that can be harnessed through extending the facility of Ship-to-Ship Transfer of LPG or Liquid Cargo at SMP, Kolkata.
HDC, SMP, Kolkata took the initiative to explore STS operations of LPG within its limits to handle fully laden vessels and requested customs authorities to allow such operations.
The STS Operation for BPCL was earlier done at Male and by doing STS Operation at HDC, BPCL will save valuable foreign exchange. This Operation at HDC reduces the time taken for a daughter vessel by 7-9 days from BPCL’s other location for STS operations which consequently entailing savings of around US $ 3,50,000 per voyage on account of BPCL.
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