Liquid Medical Oxygen from Singapore sourced by Indian Oil unloaded in Port Vishakhapatnam
By PIB Kolkata; May 23, 2021
Indian Oil unloaded a consignment of 11 ISO tanks filled with Liquid Medical Oxygen (LMO), carried from Singapore by INS Jalashwa, an Indian Navy vessel at Vishakhapatnam Port today. The same vessel also carried two more ISO tanks of LMO, sourced by GAIL and handled by Indian Oil. The entire consignment has been sourced by Indian Oil from M/s BNF Singapore and filled at M/s Linde in Singapore. Indian Oil has taken the ISO tanks on lease to handle the supply and logistics of LMO in the fight against the COVID pandemic. This consignment has been earmarked to meet the pressing demand for Medical Oxygen in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
In the face of a massive surge in demand for Liquid Medical Oxygen and related logistic issues, Indian Oil, under the aegis of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, has been importing ISO tanks suitable for transporting Medical Oxygen from across the globe. While over 75% of the filled ISO tanks are brought in by the Indian Navy vessels, the empty containers are airlifted back by Indian Air Force to the sources of Oxygen supply. Indian Oil sources LMO supplies from the countries including Singapore, Kuwait, Abu Dhabi and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from global suppliers including M/s Linde, M/s Air Life and M/s Air Liquide. Indian Oil has brought in several consignments of LMO into other Southern cities including Mangalore and Bengaluru.
The various imports of LMO, Oxygen Cylinders, and Oxygen concentrators being done by ICRS (Indian Red Cross Society) are also being handled by Indian Oil, in terms of unloading and transportation.