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Trincomalee Oil Tank Farm

2021 DEC 31

Preliminary   > Geography   >   Places in news   >   Places in news

Why in news?

  • Sri Lanka to ink three new lease agreements to develop Trincomalee oil tank farm with India.
  • It is a coveted project that has remained controversial since long time.

About Trincomalee Oil Tank Farm:

  • The Trincomalee Oil Tank Farm is located in ‘China Bay’, in close proximity to the internationally coveted deep water natural harbour of Trincomalee.
  • It comprises of 99 storage tanks, with a capacity of 12,000 kilolitres each, spread across Lower Tank farm and Upper Tank Farm. Currently, Lanka IOC (a subsidiary of Indian Oil Corporation) runs 15 tanks.
  • The new agreement is being negotiated for the remaining tanks.
  • Indian Oil Corporation will work with the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation for developing the Upper Tank Farm.

Background:

  • Tricomalee also known as Gokanna/Gokarna is a major resort port city of Eastern Province, Sri Lanka.
  • Trincomalee harbour being the second deepest natural harbour in the world, the British who were in control of the island decided make this as their primary logistics station in the east after World War I.
  • During the Second World War, the British built the Trincomalee oil tank farms to serve as a refuelling station, adjacent to the Trincomalee port, an enviable natural harbour.
  • During the World War II, the Japanese attacked Trincomalee harbour in 1942, but they couldn’t succeed in destroying it.
  • The Oil Tank Farm of Trincomallee was never used in full capacity after their independence.
  • The nearly century-old oil tanks need to be refurbished — at the cost of millions of dollars — if they are to be fit for use again.

Add ons:

  • The proposal of this joint development was envisaged 35 years ago, in the Indo-Lanka Accord 1987. Despite this Accord, work barely moved until 2003.
  • In 2003, Indian Oil Corporation set up its Sri Lankan subsidiary called Lanka IOC, to work on this oil farm.

PRELIMS QUESTION

Trincomalee oil tank farm, recently seen in news is located in:

(a) Sri Lanka

(b) Indonesia

(c) Vietnam

(d) Japan

Answer