ISLAMABAD: Pakistan light oil pipeline project undertaken by China Petroleum Pipeline Engineering Co., Ltd (CPP) completed, Gwadar Pro reported on Monday.
The MFM MoGas Project – (MFM MP) Phase-II (TS-3 & TS-4), constructed by CPP has also successfully passed the owner’s inspection.
“Since we officially entered the Pakistani market in July 2014 and registered the Pakistan Branch of China Petroleum Pipeline Engineering Co., Ltd. in October 2017, we have completed a total of 9 projects here. Beyond all question, the light oil pipeline project means another challenge for us,” said Wang Desheng from the TS-3 & TS-4 EPC Project Department in an interview with Gwadar Pro.
“Our owner, Pak–Arab Refinery Limited (PARCO), operates a pipeline transportation system of more than 2,000 kilometers, from Karachi in the south to Lahore in the north, which can be described as the main artery that helps Pakistan’s north-south energy transmission.
In recent years, demand for motor gasoline has grown rapidly in north and central Pakistan, so the PARCO started planning to use the same pipeline to transport gasoline to alleviate the shortage in the region, thereby stabilizing its market share in north-central Pakistan,” Wang told Gwadar Pro, “therefore, Mahmood Kot-Faisalabad-Machike (MFM) Pipeline Phase II Reconstruction and Expansion Project came into being, which also included our project.”
The TS-3 and TS-4 stations are located in Faisalabad and Sheikhupura, Punjab, respectively. The former includes a single gasoline storage tank (42 meters in diameter, 12.6 meters in height, and a tank capacity of 15,000 cubic meters), a fire water storage tank (15.24 meters in diameter, 13.1 meters in height and a tank capacity of 2200 cubic meters), etc.
The latter includes 2 single gasoline storage tanks (42 meters in diameter, 12.6 meters in height and a tank capacity of 15,000 cubic meters), a fire water storage tank (18.2 meters in diameter, 14.63 meters in height and a tank capacity of 3500 cubic meters) and related supporting facilities.
According to Wang, their project has always adhered to the strictest engineering quality standards since the start of construction in November 2017 until the owner issued the completion certificate recently.
“During the construction period of several years, our team overcame challenges such as local climate, customs differences, project safety, and successfully overcame the huge difficulties brought by the COVID-19 epidemic, and the project proceeded smoothly. It can be said that the owner’s affirmation means our success,” Wang emphasized.
Besides, as for employment, the project also created a series of jobs to local technical talents. The reporter learned that during the peak construction period, the total number of people on site reached nearly 400.
The project department recruited a group of skilled and experienced Pakistani engineers, and the person in charge of HSE also provided training on epidemic prevention and various rules and regulations.
In Wang’s view, there are huge opportunities for cooperation between CPP and Pakistani companies in the oil and gas industry, which has a considerable market in Pakistan.
At present, the CPP has established good cooperative relations with major oil and gas industry owners such as SSGC, SNGPL, PARCO, ISGS, OGDCL, etc. in Pakistan, and has won a good reputation locally.
“In the future, we will always pay attention to local policy trends and seize the opportunity to promote the comprehensive development of large-scale oil and gas projects in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. China-Pak friendship Zindabad!”
