Master Divers in novel project

Lays new crude oil pipeline:

Ramani Kangaraarachchi

The leading marine services company in Sri Lanka, Master Divers has successfully completed a huge project of installing a new pipeline to discharge crude oil saving a large amount of foreign exchange to the country.

Master Divers Chairman Ariyaseela Wickramanayake told Daily News Business that normally this type of a job should have been done by an European company which would cost nearly US$ 7-8 million, but Master Divers team of 25 members was able to do this for the first time within a period of two months at a much lesser cost.

The requirement of installing this new pipeline emerged as the old pipeline was blocking the new south port entrance.

It was necessary to deepen the new south port to a higher level and Master Divers had to use 300 tonnes floating crane to remove the old pipeline which was a 12,000 tonnes of steel pipe cut under water and delivered to the shore. The single point mooring old pipeline was laid in 1986 by an American and a Japanese company jointly.

It was installed, nine kilometres away out at sea to discharge crude oil when the Petroleum Corporation was started.

Recollecting the history Wickramanayake said that 25 years later Master Divers removed the four and a half kilometre pipeline elevated platform after installing the new pipeline where he personally got involved in both activities.