KARACHI, Dec 11: The Karachi Port Trust (KPT) has asked the management of Tasman Spirit, the oil tanker which ran aground in July off Karachi coast, to pay US$10 million against the provision of port services and facilities extended by the port authorities during the rescue operation.

This was stated by Vice-Admiral Ahmad Hayyat while talking to newsmen at the conclusion of a three-day training workshop organized jointly by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and Oil-spill Preparedness and Response Cooperation (OPRC) here on Thursday.

Representatives from 18 institutions, including KPT, PQA, PSO, Shell, PNSC, DHA, CDGK, ministry of petroleum, DG Ports and Shipping and federal and Sindh environment orotection agencies, participated the workshop.

The vice-admiral said that the amount had nothing to do with the claim of more than US$1 billion sought by the KPT from the vessel’s management as compensation of the damage caused by the spillage.

“These are purely port charges which the KPT is demanding for its services during rescue operation and for salvaging oil,” he said.

He said that the KPT had held four of their vessels, including a couple of tugs, which they had called in for rescue operation.

He pointed out that they had agreed to pay about US$2 million as part payment of the total charges of US$10 million. “We will release their vessels after the part payment of the dues,” the KPT chairman said.

In reply to a question, he said that it was his priority to remove the wreckage before April 2004.— APP