IOCL begins naphtha, diesel, jet fuel exports from Paradip refinery

PSU major eyes markets in neighbouring countries, Far East; aims at 100% capacity utilisation in FY20

Oil marketing major Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL) has started exporting products to countries like Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore and Myanmar from its 15-million-tonne crude oil refinery at Paradip.

“The products exported from the refinery include naphtha, diesel, motor spirit and aviation turbine fuel. We are looking at exporting the products to Far East countries and neighbouring countries also. We aim to achieve 100 per cent capacity utilisation in the next financial year,” said a senior official of IOCL.

Presently, exports account for about 10 per cent of Paradip refinery’s production. This fiscal, the oil major will end up achieving 14.6 million tonne in output.

IOCL's 15 million tonne per annum (mtpa) coastal refinery at Paradip is spread over 3,345 acres, built with an estimated cost of Rs 34,555 crore. The refinery can process 100 per cent high-sulphur and heavy crude oil to produce various petroleum products, including petrol and diesel of BS-IV quality, kerosene, aviation turbine fuel, propylene, sulphur, and petroleum coke. It is also designed to produce Euro-V premium quality motor spirit and other green auto fuel variants for export.

Paradip Refinery is IOCL's 11th refinery and was dedicated to the nation by prime pinister   Narendra Modi in February 2016, the foundation stone for which was laid in May 2000 by then prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee.

It is considered to be the most modern refinery of the country, with a complexity factor of 10.7 based on Nelson Index. The refinery is configured to process high-sulphur crude oils with major secondary processing units such as Naphtha Hydro treating Unit (NHT), Continuous Catalytic Reformer (CCRU), Diesel Hydro-treatment Unit (DHDT), VGO Hydro treatment Unit (VGOHDT), INDMAX, Delayed Coking Unit (DCU), Alkylation unit, Merox, etc.

“We have plans to expand the refinery by another 10 million tonnes. But we need the required land first for expansion of the capacity,” he added.

IOCL has pledged to invest Rs 52,000 crore more on ramping up refinery capacity and commissioning some additional units of its planned petrochemicals complex. To proceed with the expansion, the oil monolith had asked for 2900 acres land around the site of the Paradip refinery complex in February 2017. But even after a lapse of two years, IOCL is yet to get any firm word on allotment of land by the Odisha government.

With the scaling up of refinery capacity and installation of petrochemical units, exports by IOCL are expected to grow though meeting domestic demand would top the oil major’s agenda.