Essar commences production of VG grade bitumen

Essar Oil Ltd on Friday announced the commencement of production of viscosity grade (VG) bitumen from its Vadinar Refinery.

Widely adopted by the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH), National Highway Authority of India (NHAI), Directorate General of Supplies & Disposal (DGSD) and all Government Public Work Departments (PWDs), the viscosity grade bitumen conforms to Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) IS 73:2006.

"Apart from transport fuels, we manufacture a range of products at our Vadinar refinery that cater to various industry segments. With the commencement of VG grade of bitumen, Essar Oil will be in a position to cater to the infrastructure sector and offer a superior performance product at competitive rates. We are also very close to starting pet coke production at the refinery that will commence soon after we complete the Phase I expansion in March 2012," said Lalit Gupta, MD & CEO, Essar Oil. MoRTH, in consultation with BIS, has revised bitumen specifications from penetration grade to viscosity grade in a bid to enhance the durability of Indian roads. According to the company, the move was aimed at overcoming the limitations of penetration grade bitumen that was in vogue earlier.

On its part, the company has successfully produced superior performance VG grade bitumen (VG 30) by processing a judicious mix of crudes and blending components. Among other things, the Vadinar Refinery is equipped with a laboratory, which develops superior grade petro products with acceptance in both domestic and international markets.