Karachi(Cliff News)Fauji Trans Terminal Limited (FTTL), a joint venture between Fauji Oil Terminal and Distribution Company (FOTCO) and Trans Group is setting up a state of the art bulk liquids storage and handling terminal at Port Qasim. FTTL is being built with an investment of USD 25 Million and it would have a total designed storage capacity of 280,000 MT. Phase 1 of the project includes 108,000 MT of storage capacity and is expected to be operational by March 2018. The proposed Oil Terminal is designed to handle all POL products including Motor Gasoline, Diesel, Fuel Oil, Crude and Naphta. The terminal will be built strictly following the guidelines of API (American Institute of Petroleum) and NFPA (National Fire Protection Authority – USA) and will be equipped with full fire fighting systems of international standards.Lt Gen Khalid Nawaz Khan, HI (M), Sitara-i-Esaar (Retd), Managing Director Fauji Foundation and Chairman Port Qasim Authority Agha Jan Akhtar performed the ground breaking of Fauji Trans Terminal Limited today.The terminal will be fully integrated with the FOTCO oil jetty and will also include buffer storage for Motor Gasoline, Diesel and Fuel Oil to achieve the maximum discharge rates ensuring the quickest turnaround time for oil tankers calling at Port Qasim. Currently average discharging rates achieved by vessels calling at Karachi are 1500 MT/hr which has resulted in long waiting times for berthing of oil tankers resulting in high demurrage costs being incurred by importers.FTTL is set to resolve this problem with its ability to achieve higher discharge rates of up to 5000 MT/hr meaning oil tankers will only require 1/3rd of the time to discharge a given parcel of cargo.Lt Gen Khalid Nawaz Khan said that oil storage is an integral part of energy infrastructure for any country, which can ensure an adequate and uninterrupted supply logistics of fuel oils to maintain the economic activities and sustained national growth. The importance of this project is further augmented by virtue of these storage tanks beings directly integrated with the marine oil terminal of FOTCO, which will result in improved operational efficiency and capacity utilization of both the terminal and the storage.FTTL will include long-term storage required by the oil industry, especially oil marketing companies who are required to keep a minimum stock of 20 days to ensure adequate fuel supply in the country. Just recently in a meeting held by the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the cabinet it was noted that there was only 9 days of petrol stocks in the country which puts the nations supply chain at a great risk especially given the climate of regional political tensions being faced by Pakistan today.Hasan Sobuctageen, COO of Fotco informed that the issue of vessels waiting and incurring high amounts of demurrage is at its peak. Just recently MT AL SALAM II arrived at Port Qasim outer anchorage on 22/08/2016 carrying 50,000 MT gas oil for PSO, waited for 37 days and finally berthed on 28/09/2016 due to a lack of oil storage at Port Qasim. Although the need of integrated oil storage with the FOTCO terminal had been felt for some time, however the recent significant increase in import volumes of Mogas has necessitated the emergent requirement of not only storage facilities of Mogas but essential measures to reduce the turnaround time of oil tankers calling at FOTCO terminal.
Saeed Athar, Managing Director Trans group said that Fauji Trans Terminal is a state of the art storage facility with the vision to meet the oil industries’ urgent needs and Inshallah terminal will be ready in 15-18 months. At FTTL our business plan is simple, to be the gateway at Port Qasim for all oil companies whether small or big.
Saeed Athar, Managing Director Trans group said that Fauji Trans Terminal is a state of the art storage facility with the vision to meet the oil industries’ urgent needs and Inshallah terminal will be ready in 15-18 months. At FTTL our business plan is simple, to be the gateway at Port Qasim for all oil companies whether small or big.