Kuwait lobbies Dhaka to export oil by old vessels

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FE Report
Kuwait is lobbying hard to continue supplying fuel to Bangladesh with older vessels, imperiling Bangladesh's maritime safety, officials have said.
Top officials of Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) recently met with Director General of Shipping in Bangladesh and some government high-ups to pursue their case with Bangladeshi counterparts, enabling the Kuwaiti state agency to carry oil by 25 years old vessels.
The Department of Shipping had earlier asked the state-owned Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) to stop importing petroleum products using old vessels from next year on environmental grounds.
Shipping Department's stance against older vessels has prompted the KPC officials to visit Bangladesh ahead of the next month's official negotiation with BPC over fuel import and premiums.
"Some KPC officials came to my office last week and said that their old vessels are not environmentally hazardous," Director General of Shipping, Bazlur Rahman, told the FE Friday.
He said the KPC officials said that all of their old vessels have 'double hull,' which prevents seepage of petroleum, even though the external hull is leaked.
KPC officials also submitted some documents to support their claims, said Mr Rahman.
It now requires physical examination of KPC's old vessels to continue imports of petroleum products from the oil-rich Gulf nation, he said.
"My aim is to set the standard in line with the International Maritime Organisation," said the official.
For import of oil, a BPC official said the petroleum corporation will rely on recommendation from the Shipping Department and directives from the government high ups.
Bangladesh was forced by Kuwait to relax its regulations on allowing the use of vessels more than 20 years old to supply fuel in 2009.
As of now, BPC has a deal with the KPC under which the company is to provide 520,000 tonnes of diesel at a premium of $3.40 per barrel to the Mean of Platts Arab Gulf (MOPAG) assessment and 140,000 tonnes of jet fuel at a premium of $4.40 per barrel to MOPAG over July-December 2010.