Record handling of crude oil by Chennai Port Trust

Chennai Port Trust (ChPT) Tuesday said it has for the first time handled 88,000 tonnes of crude oil as against the previous record of 84,000 tonnes.

ChPT chairman P Raveendran said in a press release that this indicated the port's capability in handling large quantity of crude.

The port set another landmark achievement by handling 88,000 tonnes of crude oil on February 18 from a vessel Nordic Moon, a press release said.

Last year, the port had become the first in the country to handle a very large crude carrier by allowing it inside the port basin, the release said.

Earlier, such large ships had to be anchored at a distance outside the port basin or make use of 'Single Buoy Mooring' considering the mammoth size and manoeuvring issues.

A 333-metre-long M V Diamond became the first large vessel to be handled by the port last year that supplied oil by entering backwaters of the port with a depth of 20 metres.

''It was a historic occasion for the 137-year-old Chennai Port Trust to handle such large oil carriers," Minister of State for Finance and Shipping Pon Radhakrishnan had said.