DALIAN, July 22 (Xinhua) -- An oil tanker berthed at northeast China's Dalian Xingang Port Thursday, the first to do so since a pipeline explosion at the harbor six days ago.
The tanker "Changhang Fengcai" left its temporary anchorage at 7:37 a.m. and berthed at the Xingang Harbor at 9:48 a.m.
The China Changjiang National Shipping Corporation tanker is scheduled to take on 35,000 tonnes of oil. Loading operations have yet to begin.
The oil pipeline, connecting Dalian Xingang Port and Dalian Petrochemicals, has resumed operation after a blast Friday that caused oil spill in sea areas in Dalian, China National Petroleum Corporation said in a statement Thursday.
By midday Wednesday, Dalian Petrochemicals had received 66,000 tonnes of crude oil through the pipeline, which is carrying oil at a rate of 45,000 tonnes per day.
On Tuesday, harbor authorities lifted a partial ban on maritime traffic at Dalian. But local officials said oil shipments from Dalian will not be restored immediately.
Oil refineries in southern China have scaled back operations and at least three China National Petroleum Corp. (CNPC) subsidiaries have reduced sales of refined oil in southern provinces.
Two crude pipelines exploded in Xingang Port late Friday after a 300,000-tonne tanker unloaded oil. The tanker left the harbor safely.
