Operations restarted at Sapugaskanda Oil Refinery
Ishara Mudugamuwa
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Repair work underway on the pipeline
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The Sapugaskanda Oil Refinery which was temporarily shut down due to
a delay in obtaining crude oil, restarted operations on Tuesday,
Petroleum Industries Ministry sources said. “A ship containing crude oil
for the Sapugaskanda Oil Refinery arrived last week. The unloading of
the crude oil was delayed due to a breakdown in the pipeline located
offshore, nine kms from the Colombo Harbour.
Repair activities were delayed due to bad weather in the sea area,”
sources said. Petroleum Industries Minister Anura Priyadarashana Yapa
who participated in an inspection tour of the site recently, directed
the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation to take immediate measures to repair
the pipeline.
The Sapugaskanda Oil Refinery has been constructed to refine only
Iranian crude oil. However, the importation of crude oil from Iran was
halted due to sanctions imposed on Iran by the United States.
Measures were taken to buy crude oil that is similar to Iranian crude
oil. One million barrels of crude oil had been imported, sources said. |
