After taking the opinion of the Law Division, the Cabinet Committee on Energy (CCOE) will decide whether to delay the shutdown of the Engro LNG Terminal or to continue operations, within 72 hours, the Secretary Petroleum, Dr. Arshad Mehmood, informed a local media outlet.
This is the standard process of the LNG terminals, whereby the FSRU is taken to the service yard and brought to dry land. This is done to clean and inspect the submerged portions of the hull. Dry docking is essential as a preventative measure and is also a regulatory requirement within the industry.
This particular terminal had been given extensions thrice until March 2021, which means that the risk of any mishap is much higher now if dry docking is not carried out. Furthermore, after 30 June, the current FSRU at the EETPL will not have any insurance cover and, therefore, will not be able to sail.
The FSRU at the EETPL needs dry docking twice in 15 years, the first of which was due in 2019 but has not been so far, Mehmood stated.
However, the docking of the unit means that the LNG terminal will not be functional for at least a week. This may also lead to supply disruptions as this terminal supplies nearly 10 percent of the total gas across the country.
Under these circumstances, the EETPL is seeking to replace the current FSRU (Exquisite) by the FSRU (Sequoia), while the Petroleum Division is focused on ensuring coordinated efforts to manage risks and mitigate supply chain disruption.
