The Hindu Business Line : IOC to modify third oil jetty in Haldia

INDIAN Oil Corporation is set to modify the third oil jetty at Haldia dock to handle exports of petroleum products, according to a spokesman for Haldia dock. Commissioned in March 2000, the jetty handles mainly crude imports by IOC and limited quantities of petroleum products arriving at the dock by the coastal route from the Jamnagar refinery of Reliance.

The need for modification has arisen, as there will be a substantial drop in crude imports through the jetty as soon as the Paradip-Haldia crude pipeline becomes operational from the next fiscal.

The jetty, therefore, must handle new items to remain operational from April next year, it is felt. The essence of modification presupposes installation of a loading arm in the jetty and construction of a 10-km-long product pipeline from IOC's Haldia refinery to the jetty. Right now there is an unloading arm to facilitate unloading of imports. It is also felt that the present crude pipeline from the jetty to the refinery will be rendered useless once crude starts flowing into the refinery through the Paradip-Haldia crude pipeline.

The volume of exports IOC proposes to handle at the jetty, though not clear yet, could be in the region of a couple of million tonnes, says the spokesman.

Berth No 13: Meanwhile, Simplex Concrete Piles India Ltd has been selected for the construction of Berth Number 13 of the dock. Other bidders included ITD Cementation and Nav Yug. The 250-long berth will have a backup area of 16,000 sq metres. Estimated to cost around Rs 23 crore, it will be a multipurpose berth.

The country's first indigenously built rail-mounted quay crane (RMQC) has been commissioned at Berth Nos 10 and 11. There will be two such cranes installed in the berths, the second one being due for commissioning shortly. Built by McNally Bharat in technical collaboration with Kone of Finland, the two cranes are estimated to cost Rs 39 crore, add the sources.

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