The new terminal, which only went into operation at the end of last month, suffered a leak which caused a suspension of works for a few days and undoubtedly some loss of turnover.
Its operator, Pakistan GasPort Consortium Limited (PGPC), said in a statement that the leak was caused by a faulty insulation joint connecting the terminal to the pipeline infrastructure.
But “There was no blast as a news report alleged,” it said.
It said that the leak was promptly plugged, the joint was replaced and the system was being re-pressurised.
Big ambition
The landmark project aims to reduce Pakistan’s gas deficit by 30%, provide fuel for 3,600 megawatt power generation plants being set up in the Punjab and yield an estimated $1.5 billion in annual foreign-exchange savings.
BW Group provided a new-build Floating Service and Regasification Unit (FSRU) under charter to the project, which was built at Samsung Heavy Industries in South Korea.
The FSRU has a low environmental footprint, high efficiency, storage capacity in excess of 170,000m3 and peak regasification capacity of 750mmscfd.
The project was conceived by a consortium comprising Xinjiang Petroleum Engineering Company Limited (XPE), CCCC Third Harbor Consultants Company Limited, CCCC Third Harbor Engineering Company Limited and COWI Gulf A/S.