Repairs to reinforce the sills of the Panama Canal's new locks, which were found to be deficient earlier this year, will be completed by January 2016, the Canal Authority of Panama (ACP) said Tuesday.
During routine operational testing of locks, valves, maintenance bulkheads and gates, which began in June, leaks were discovered in a confined area located between the middle and lower chambers of the Pacific Locks.
In late August, project contractor GUPC acknowledged the presence of fissures in the lock walls, saying that technical analysis would continue until an adequate solution was determined.
GUPC has yet to determine a date for final completion of the new locks project, the group told the Canal Authority in a November 28 meeting.
The contractor's decision to hold off on providing an estimated completion date marks a break from September statements indicating that the expansion project would remain on target for completion in April 2016.
The expansion of the 50-mile-long canal is being closely watched by developers of LNG export projects along the US Gulf Coast.
Asian consumers with offtake from Cheniere's Sabine Pass liquefaction terminal -- shipments are expected to begin in January 2016 -- will likely use the canal, which can reduce the shipping distance by a third.
The transit distance from the US Gulf Coast to Japan can be reduced to around 9,214 nautical miles from 14,570 nautical miles through the Suez Canal.
Upon completion, the Canal Authority expects annual LNG-tanker traffic to reach 25 million mt/year.
