KARACHI, Nov 5: Port users have asked the Karachi Port Trust (KPT) to make early arrangements for laying more pipelines at the Bulk Oil Pier One (BOP-I) to remove growing congestion of liquid bulk carriers at the port.

BOP-I is presently under utilised at 25 per cent of its capacity, thereby causing heavy rush of oil tankers and other vessels which call at the port to load liquid bulk cargo, port users said.

They complained that they have to suffer heavy losses on payment of demurrages in foreign exchange to shipping companies for keeping their vessels to wait for longer periods at the off-port.

Though there are three bulk oil piers at the Karachi Port, port users have been complaining that the authorities are not properly managing their operational usefulness to get optimum results, another port user said.

Besides, there is a dry berth No 1 (DB-I) where pipelines were specially laid under public-private joint venture a couple of years back to meet the growing traffic of liquid bulk carriers.

However, for the last couple of months the DB-I remained under heavy use by vessels bringing in wheat, coal and shredded scrap.

Similarly, a large number of vessels calling at the port to load cement and clinker were accommodated at the same berth.

Congestion of tanker ships at the port aggravated last month when KPT closed down the OP-II for two weeks to carry out maintenance, and dredging to ensure sanctioned depths of 13.4 metres.

The port authorities informed users well before time about the closure of the OP-II but the situation somehow went out of control resulting in payment of heavy demurrages by exporters of liquid bulk cargoes, such as ethanol and molasses.

For sorting out the issue on long term basis the KPT convened a meeting of stakeholders on Tuesday where representatives of Terminal Association of Pakistan (TAP) and shipping companies participated. General Manager Operations KPT Commodore Azhar Hayat presided over the meeting and was assisted by Capt Shaukat Ali Deputy Conservator KPT.

Sources privy to the meeting told Dawn that TAP representative complained that during the period when OP-II remained closed for dredging from Oct 8 to 24 and presently owing to priority being given to POL vessels especially of naptha loaders, the exporters of ethanol and molasses have paid a huge amount of around $415,000 towards demurrages.

The port users were of the opinion that the KPT should ask the petroleum terminal users to lay down pipelines for other POL products, including naptha at OP-I within next three months.

Talking to Dawn, Capt Shaukat Ali, Deputy Conservator of KPT said that another meeting is being convened of all the stakeholders, including Oil Companies Advisory Committee (OCAC), oil companies, non-POL users of terminals, like ethanol, molasses and shipping companies involved in the haulage of liquid bulk cargo.

He said many issues were discussed in the meeting on Tuesday and hopefully remaining matters would be taken up in the next meeting where all stakeholders are being invited.

The BOP-I is presently being used for crude oil with a provision of handling High Speed Diesel. The BOP-II handles all other products, like molasses, ethanol, edible oil, chemical and petroleum products, like naphta.

BOP-III is multi- purpose but priority is given to POL products, official sources said.