Date:03/01/2009 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2009/01/03/stories/2009010356691600.htm

Business

Panipat refinery by November

Special Correspondent

Euro IV fuel standards on track: IOC

Naphtha cracker complex will also be on stream
Upgradation project at Gujarat Refinery on

NEW DELHI: Terming 2009 as ‘year of commissioning’, Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) on Friday announced that the expansion of the most advanced refinery at Panipat from 12 million tonnes annually to 15 million tonnes would be completed by November this year at a cost of Rs. 14,000 crore.

In addition to this, an adjacent naphtha cracker complex would also be put on stream.

The through hydro cracker project at Haldia would also be commissioned this year.

According to IOC Director (Refineries) B. N. Bankapur the commissioning of the naphtha cracker and downstream polymer units at Panipat would make it an integrated refinery-cum-petrochemicals complex.

The expansion would ensure better supply of petroleum products to the strategic North-West region, Mr. Bankapur added.

Talking about other major ongoing projects, he said in order to ensure meeting product quality requirement of MS/HSD (motor spirit/high speed diesel oil) to Euro-III/IV levels, and to process increased quantity of high sulphur crude and improvement in distillate yield, IOC was implementing an upgradation project at Gujarat Refinery at a cost of Rs. 5,882 crore, which was scheduled for completion in January 2010.

“In order to achieve quality standards, a clutch of petrol and diesel quality upgradation projects are set to be commissioned by the end of 2009 at various IOC refinery locations,” he added.