KARACHI, July 15: Karachi Port Trust (KPT) has planned five pipelines — three for chemicals and two for edible oil — to ensure efficient liquid product transmittal until Oil Pier (OP-II) becomes capable of handling 75,000 dead weight tonnage (dwt) vessels.

This was stated by KPT chairman Rear Admiral Ahmad Hayat while inaugurating the eight inch diameter pipeline from cargo berth no.1 which has been laid to facilitate smooth handling of chemicals while OP-II is under construction. This was first of the five pipelines planned by the KPT. The event was organized by the KPT and Al-Rahim Trading Company on Monday.

He said KPT is sharing 50 per cent of the cost of this arrangement with Terminal Association of Pakistan. Earlier, two molasses pipelines were also laid and handling of molasses had entirely been catered by these pipelines.

In August, he said, inauguration of reconstruction of OP-II will be held followed by dredging after monsoons.

Chairman Al-Rahim Group Haji Haroon Kapadia said decommissioning of OP-II, as planned by the KPT, will start from next month. Currently, OP-1 is exclusively for petroleum vessels and the petroleum vessels utilize 70 per cent of OP-III time and the balance 30 per cent is utilized by the edible and chemical vessels. He said the number of chemical vessels handled by the OP-II are around 70-80 vessels per year. This load will shift to OP-III as it has only 30 per cent time for edible and chemical vessels.