The installation of a fuel pipeline from Chattogram to Dhaka is progressing at a brisk pace as about half of the work is already complete while the rest is expected to be complete by December, according to project officials.

The pipeline is being set up to facilitate direct shipments of fuel from Patenga in Chattogram to Narayanganj in Dhaka.

At present, fuel is transported from Chattogram to destinations across the country either by land or sea, said officials of the Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC).

In addition to the huge amount of related transport costs, fuel theft also happens every day.

Moreover, due to navigability issues in inland waterways, transporting fuel become particularly difficult during the dry season.

This disrupts the supply of fuel but if the project is implemented, the BPC could avoid these losses, they said.

The BPC officials went on to say that the project would facilitate the movement of 27-30 lakh tonnes of fuel directly from Chattogram to Dhaka each year while the capacity could be increased to 50 lakh tonnes later.

This will revolutionize the transportation of fuel, sources said, adding that with this, the long wait for safe fuel transportation will come to an end.

The BPC is implementing the project at a cost of about Tk 3,172 crore under the supervision of the 24th Engineer Construction Brigade of Bangladesh Army.

Colonel Jahangir Hossain, a project director, told The Daily Star that the project's deadline is in December.

"In the meantime, all the works will be completed and the pipeline will be made suitable for transporting fuel," he said.

All the pipes required for installing the 250-kilometre (km) pipeline have already reached the country while about 80 per cent of the other necessary equipment is here as well.

"We have completed the work of laying pipes in an area of 200 km. Pipe welding has also been completed in an area of 170 km. In all, the progress of the project is 50 per cent," Hossain added.

Project officials said the BPC started a feasibility study in 2015 on building a pipeline to transport fuel directly from Chattogram to Dhaka. Engineers India Limited was then hired as a consultant and after the feasibility study, a policy decision was taken to implement the project in 2017.

In October 2018, the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council approved the project, called "Supply of fuel oil in the pipeline from Chattogram to Dhaka", at a cost of Tk 2,861.31 crore.

However, the development project proposal was revised in several phases and the cost now stands at Tk 3,171.85 crore.

Around 241.28 kms of pipes have been installed between Guptakhal area of Patenga and Godnail in Narayanganj via Feni, Cumilla, Chandpur and Munshiganj.

This pipeline, placed five feet below ground, has a diameter of 16 inches.

Besides, 8.29 kms of pipeline will be constructed from Godanail in Narayanganj to Fatulla. However, the diameter of these pipelines will be 10 inches instead of 16. The pipeline will run from Patenga to Fatulla, touching the bottom of 22 rivers and canals.

There are about 10 big rivers in the construction zone and at present, the work on installing pipes under two of them is pending. There will be nine stations across the entire pipeline and a new fuel depot will be set up in Barura upazila of Cumilla.

Engineer Aminul Haque, who is acting project director on behalf of the BPC, said work on the project to is progressing at a fast pace after overcoming various complications.

"It is scheduled to be complete by December this year," he said, adding that the implementation of this project will revolutionize fuel transportation in the country.