ISLAMABAD:
All the members of Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) are set to
put their heads together here in Islamabad today (Tuesday) with Saeed
Ahmad Khan in the chair to decide if the application of Elengy Terminal
Pakistan Limited (ETPL) of Engro Company seeking licence for carrying
out LNG import activities and LNG terminal construction should be
returned as it is incomplete, irregular and void.
The
authority would also decide as to whether the interveners should also be
provided with complete application or not.Ogra Chairman Saeed Khan
confirmed to The News that the authority will assemble today (Tuesday)
and examine the LNG project for which a working paper is being made.
“We
will decide the fate of the licence keeping in view provisions of Ogra
Ordinance and LNG policy,” member oil and vice chairman of Ogra told The
News.The regulator has already held a public hearing in Karachi on
March 25 wherein 6 interveners came up with their reservation about the
site of the proposed LNG terminals.
The Ogra also visited
the site of the proposed LNG terminal at Port Qasim in Karchi. The
working paper to be pitched before all the members of the Ogra,
available with The News, unveils that the authority will ponder over
some vital points like the proposed LNG terminal is well within the
danger zone of 2000m. Asked is proposed terminal in line with master
plan of Port Qasim Authority?, the PQA replied in a letters in the
negative.
The authority will assess, as per the working
paper, as to why it was essential to have separate LNG zone and why has
not Ministry of Defence insisted on it?
The authority will
also deliberate on the development according to which ETPL was directed
by PQA to shift their project to LNG zone and is PQA now changing its
stance? Ogra members will also discuss as to whether the fresh studies
are required for the site which should be in LNG zone.
The
PQA has not yet cleared the proposed site and will certainly not issue
unconditional NoC given so many deficiencies with the applicant.The
working paper also discloses that hydraulic and traffic studies are
required before the issue of PQA NoC and they have not been provided to
Ogra by the applicant. Environment concerns have yet to be addressed by
the applicant.
The paper also says that the proposed
Elengy site would need extremely large volumes of dredging which shall
disturb the seabed geography and shall give rise to variable currents
emerging with totally silting patterns. This may result in reduction of
designed existing depths at FAP terminal leading to server commercial
and financial losses.
The working paper that OGRA will
deliberate also mentions that the transition of LNG vessels in PQA will
render the channel suspended for other commercial traffic and port
users.
EVTL CEO Imranul haq when contacted responded in
detail saying that there is no requirement of 2000 meters distance that
has been dubbed danger zone as in Argentina port, various terminals
including LNG terminals have been established at a distance of 200 to
300 meters.
Haq said that no doubt the master plan of PQA
does not include the LNG terminal in it. He, however, further said that
FAP terminal was also not included in the master plan. In case of any
untoward incident, there are three levels of security embedded in the
security apparatus and even in case of any worst scenario, the explosion
will take place in burning basin only that will not affect the terminal
and others.
Haq said that master plans keep on changing
keeping in view the requirements. Asked as to whether Ministry of
Defence has given Elengy a green signal for LNG terminal at Port Qasim,
he said that Elengy cannot approach the ministry directly as it is the
duty of Port Qasim administration. However, he mentioned that in a
meeting of the task force on LNG, representatives of the Ministry of
Defense had indicated that it has no objection and when the application
comes to the ministry, it will issue the NoC to Elengy for LNG project.
About
hydraulic and traffic study, he said that it is not the duty of Elengy,
rather it is duty of Port Qasim Authority. He, however, said that there
is no need of hydraulic study as it is done for new port, but for
Elengy, there is already a jetty which will be used. So Elengy needs not
conduct the study, he said. About the traffic study, he said that the
traffic of ships has reduced over the year and in Port Qasim about 35-42
LNG vessel will enter in one year. He also said that the port needs to
enhance its capacity to handle the traffic in channel.
