India-Sri Lanka Petroleum Pipeline Discussion Advances During India Energy Week

The Indian government’s proposal, facilitated by Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) Ltd., to establish a multimodal petroleum pipeline connecting Nagapattinam in India to Sri Lanka’s Trincomalee Oil Tank Farm and Colombo has entered the discussion phase.

Minister of Power & Energy, Kanchana Wijesekera, confirmed the development in an X (formerly Twitter) post that these discussions took place with IndianOil Company on Wednesday (Feb.07), on the sidelines of  India Energy Week, India’s largest energy exhibition and conference.

Leaders from Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), Lanka IOC, Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC), and Petroleum Development Authority of Sri Lanka (PDASL) were present at the meeting.Minister Wijesekera announced plans for conducting technical studies, demand market analysis, financial analysis, and exploring business models to understand the project’s mechanism.

He also highlighted that discussions extended to investment and the expansion of projects within the joint venture at the Trincomalee Oil Tank Farm, Ceylon Petroleum Storage Terminals Limited (CPSTL), and the retail operations of Lanka IOC.

Invited by India’s Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas, the Sri Lankan official attended the 2nd India Energy Week in Goa from February 6-7. In a bilateral dialogue with Hardeep Singh Puri, India’s Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Wijesekera deliberated on the progress of energy projects supported by the Indian government, investments, and policies for future energy developments.

During his visit at India Energy Week, Wijesekera toured the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) facilities in Goa, noting the modern training and safety tools provided to energy companies.

He praised ONGC’s adoption of robotics and drones for firefighting in refineries, oil rigs, petroleum storage, and logistics, highlighting the enhanced safety for employees and reduced risk of fire incidents.