Oil discharge in deep sea pipelines started 

Milestone Achievement: Diesel Transportation through Undersea Pipeline Commences

In a groundbreaking development, Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) is set to inaugurate the first-ever undersea fuel pipeline for the transportation of diesel. The project, known as the Single Point Mooring (SPM) project, will see the transfer of 60 thousand metric tonnes of diesel from Maheshkhali's storage tank terminal to Chattogram's Eastern Refinery on February 29.

The initiative comes after the successful unloading of 60 thousand metric tons of imported diesel at Maheshkhali's storage tank terminal in early December. Rigorous testing has been conducted to ensure the viability of pumping diesel through the undersea pipeline, and the plan has been finalized for execution.

The SPM project features two parallel pipelines—one dedicated to crude oil and the other to diesel. The infrastructure includes a floating mooring point in the deep sea and a storage tank terminal in Maheshkhali. The 110km pipeline was commissioned on June 25 last year, spanning from a deep-sea mooring, 16km off the Maheshkhali coast, to Eastern Refinery Ltd in Chattogram's Patenga. The project incurred a cost of Tk 7 thousand 124 crores.

According to Sharif Hasnat, the Project Director of the SPM project, the diesel pumping process is scheduled to begin at 9:00 am and is expected to take 17 hours for the diesel to reach the Chattogram refinery. The pipeline, with a capacity to transport 900 cubic meters of oil per hour, signifies a significant advancement in fuel transportation infrastructure.

Officials from Eastern Refinery Limited emphasized that the commencement of diesel transportation through the undersea pipeline marks a historic moment, and stringent precautions will be taken to ensure the success of the operation. Mohammad Lokman, the Managing Director of Eastern Refinery Limited, highlighted that the success of the SPM project hinges on the seamless execution of diesel transportation, with plans to initiate crude oil transportation through another pipeline in the first week of the following month.

Upon the full operationalization of the SPM project, the need for transportation of fuel through lighter vessels from outer anchorage in the Bay of Bengal to the Eastern Refinery will be significantly reduced. This efficiency improvement is anticipated to result in an annual cost saving of approximately Tk 800 crore.

In conclusion, the initiation of diesel transportation through the undersea pipeline represents a major leap forward in Bangladesh's energy infrastructure, promising efficiency, cost savings, and a reduced environmental impact in the long run. The success of this project sets the stage for further advancements in the nation's energy transportation capabilities.