Kathmandu — The construction of the petroleum pipeline from Motihari, India, to Amlekhgunj, Bara has been completed. With the completion of the pipeline expansion work, testing for the import of petroleum products has also begun, said Pralayankar Acharya, Chief of the Madhesh Provincial Office of Nepal Oil Corporation, Amlekhgunj.

He said that 5,500 kiloliters of petrol and 1,000 kiloliters of kerosene have been imported through the pipeline that was expanded for the time being to test the pipeline, and the petroleum products brought through the pipeline are being tested. He informed that necessary preparations are also being made for the regular import of petroleum products through the pipeline.

Although it is said that regular import of petroleum products through the pipeline will begin from January 2025, he said that there will be a delay of a few days as the necessary preparations have not been completed.

Under the pipeline expansion project, Indian Oil Corporation has constructed two petrol tanks with a capacity of 4,100 kiloliters, two transmix tanks with a capacity of 250 kiloliters, 24 fully automatic loading way-refillers for transporting petrol, a pump house and a laboratory at the depot in Amlekhgunj.Under the same project, the fire fighting system has been upgraded, an OWS system for separating water and oil, and a PMCC chamber have also been constructed.

Similarly, Indian Oil Corporation has constructed two transmix tanks to store mixed fuels that can be both petrol and diesel, and a firewater tank with a capacity of 3,000 kiloliters for security inside the depot.

The first phase of the project has been completed and diesel has been imported through the pipeline since Bhadra 25, 2076 BS. It has been stated that petrol and kerosene will also be imported through the pipeline after the completion of the second phase of the project.

Office Chief Acharya says that importing petroleum products through the pipeline will result in zero technical losses, save on transportation costs, and help reduce environmental pollution.

With the completion of this project, the storage capacity of diesel at the Amlekhgunj depot will reach 24,840 kiloliters and the storage capacity of petrol will reach 16,630 kiloliters.