Regular Import of Petroleum Products via Pipeline Begins

Nepal has commenced the regular import of petroleum products via pipeline from India’s Motihari to Amlekhgunj, Bara, following the completion of the Intra-national Petroleum Pipeline Expansion project.

According to Nepal Oil Corporation’s Madhes Regional Office in Amlekhgunj, the expanded pipeline is now operational, allowing for the steady import of petrol and kerosene. Pralayankar Acharya, Chief of the Madhes Province Office, confirmed that pipeline expansion work has been completed, and petroleum products have been imported regularly over the past few days.

“While petrol and kerosene had already been imported via the pipeline, we have now formally begun distributing imported petrol to depots in major cities across the country,” Acharya stated.

Under the expansion project, key infrastructure has been developed at the Indian Oil Corporation’s Amlekhgunj depot, including two petrol tanks with a capacity of 4,100 kiloliters each, two transmix tanks of 250 kiloliters, a fully automated 24-bay refilling station for petrol transportation, a pump house, and a laboratory.

Additionally, a new ‘Fire Fighting System,’ an ‘Oil-Water Separation (OWS) System,’ and a PMCC Cell have been installed. The Indian Oil Corporation has also constructed two transmix tanks for storing blended fuel (petrol and diesel) and a 3,000-kiloliter firewater tank for depot safety.

With this expansion, the storage capacity at the Amlekhgunj depot has increased to 24,840 kiloliters for diesel and 16,630 kiloliters for petrol. Though Likhita Infrastructure was contracted to complete the construction by 2023, delays led to its recent completion.