Kathmandu, October 26

Nepal Oil Corporation — the state-owned petroleum supply monopoly — has urged petroleum transporters to keep fuel tankers on standby to bring fuel from China.

NOC is preparing to dispatch 120 tankers, each with 12 kilolitres capacity to bring 1,000 tonnes of petrol that the government of China had pledged to provide to Nepal as grant assistance.

NOC has already requested the Embassy of China in Kathmandu to provide entry permits for Nepali fuel tankers into China, according to Rabin Sharma, Thankot Depot chief of NOC. “Once we receive the entry permits, our tankers will be allowed to enter China within 12 hours.”

China has pledged to give fuel to Nepali tankers from Kerung city, which lies 30 km from the Nepali border point of Rasuwagadhi. NOC officials, however, are still unclear about the loading system in Kerung.

“We are not clear whether it will be terminal loading or tanker-to-tanker loading,” said Sharma, adding, “If it’s terminal loading, we will send all 120 tankers at the same time and we can receive fuel within two days from the date of loading.”

However, it will take more time to bring in the fuel, if the loading system is tanker to tanker. Bagmati Petroleum Transporters’ Association has arranged tankers to bring fuel from China.

NOC’s Thankot depot will store the fuel and distribute it to fuel pumps inside Kathmandu Valley. It is reported that the China-granted petrol will be sold at the existing market price.

Meanwhile, the Nepali delegation led by Nepali Ambassador to China Mahesh Maskey left for Beijing today to sign a memorandum of understanding with the government of China to import fuel.