With the increase of population and increased economic activities, the overall demand for petroleum products has also been increased approximately by 6% annually in Sri Lanka, Deputy Minister of Petroleum Resources Development Anoma Gama points out in her latest annual review of the Ministry.

Highlighting on the ministry performance in her review she further outlines that the Ministry of Petroleum Resources Development as the policy making body in the field of upstream and downstream petroleum industry has taken several important policy decisions and initiated a few programs and projects during the reporting period in collaboration with its agencies in order to fulfill the increasing demand for petroleum products at an affordable and reliable price to the customers.

Among them are, upgrading and expansion of Fuel Hydrant System and Refueling Terminal at Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA), Katunayake, construction of Jet A-1 fuel transfer pipeline from Muthurajawela to BIA along the Colombo-Katunayake Expressway and associated facilities, construction of a fuel transfer pipeline from Colombo Port to Kolonnawa installation, construction of an interconnected fuel transfer pipeline among Kolonnawa, Muthurajawela and Sapugaskanda terminals, increasing of fuel storage capacities, establishment of a lubricant blending plant and development of regional oil bulk depots enabling to provide a customer oriented service Island-wide.

- Reporting by Devendra Francis