CHATTOGRAM, Jan 21, 2025 (BSS) - All are set to begin fuel supply through underground pipeline stretching Chattogram to Dhaka from April 1 next as the TK 3600 crore project is expected to complete within March, an official said.
 
“The 250-kilometre Chattogram-Dhaka underground network will ensure undisrupted and secured supplying of petroleum products replacing costly and outdated existing system”, Anupam Barua, Director (Operation and Planning) of Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) told BSS. 

The project titled "Supply of fuel oil in the Pipeline from Chattogram to Dhaka" is being implemented by BPC as the state of the art automated fuel supply network will save Tk. around 200 per year in transportation.

It will also enhance energy security, reduce carrying-time and check pilferage in the name of system losses as well as environmental pollution. 

Major supply of fuel from main installation depots in Chattogram to other parts of the country has been made through waterways whereas a small portion is supplied via rail routes since Independence.  

Using such old age and outdated oil supply system escalates the transportation cost with causing heavy pilferage, system loss and time-consumption.  

As per initial estimation, at least 30 lakh metric tons of petroleum products can be carried through the land network up to Barura in Cumilla and Godanail-Fatulla depots in Narayanganj while it is capable of supplying up to 50 lakhs metric tons annually later, Anupam Barua said.

"Pipe installation is fully completed and 98-99 percent of the tank station construction is finished. Pre-commissioning activities will be completed within March 30”, he added.

Sources said the entire country currently has an average fuel oil demand of 70 lakh tons per year. 

"Of this, about 30 lakh tons of fuel is used in the Dhaka division. Almost all of this oil is taken by at least 200 oil tankers from the Guptakhal main depot in Patenga here to the Chandpur, Godanail and Fatulla depots in Narayanganj by waterways. From there, it is transported by road. Some fuel oil is also transported to the country by railway wagons," Anupam Barua said. 

The pipeline construction project was initially conceived in 2015 targeting its completion by 2017 as ECNEC approved the project in October 2016 at an initial budget of Tk 2,861.31 crore with setting completion deadline by June 30, 2020. 

As complexities arose in implementation process, the government decided to implement the project through 24th Engineering Construction Brigade of the Bangladesh Army. The Army has started implementing the project under the supervision of Padma Oil Company, a subsidiary company of BPC. 

The budget and completion deadline of the project were revised several times pushing an increase of tk. 800 crore that made total amount to Tk. 3600 crore. 

Supplying fuel oil through underground pipeline on test basis has already started for its full-sewing operation from April 1. 

So far, 241.28 kilometres of the pipeline have been installed from Guptakhal depot in Patenga to Godanail in Narayanganj via Feni, Cumilla, Chandpur, and Munsiganj.

The 16-inch diameter pipeline is set beneath five feet of ground for its security and safety while additional 8.29 kilometers pipeline with a 10-inch diameter is set to connect Godnail to Fatullah.

The entire pipeline is protected by a three-layer extruded polythene coating. The pipeline route has traversed the beds of 22 rivers and canals, with nine stations along the way, and a new fuel depot already established in Cumilla's Barura upazila.

As part of future expansions, BPC plans to install another 59.23-kilometre 8-inch diameter pipeline from Cumilla to Chandpur to facilitate oil distribution to the Chandpur region.
 
BPC sources said that the work of setting up the supervisory control and data acquisition of the project has been completed. 

The activities of the 250-kilometer-long pipeline will be controlled and managed from the master control station at Chattogram dispatch terminal as an optical fiber cable line will be connected to this pipeline for detecting location and nature of possible leakage.