Oil India led consortium to bid for BPCL's stake in Numaligarh Refinery

As part of a larger plan for disinvestment of Public Sector Undertakings, the government wants to privatise downstream oil refiner BPCL by the end of the first half of next financial year (2021-22)

Oil India Ltd (OIL) in consortium with Engineers India Ltd (EIL) has decided to bid for acquiring 61.65 per cent stake of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) in Numaligarh Refinery Ltd (NRL).

The bid is to be submitted through a formal process. The exact percentage of the stake of OIL and ElL will depend on the extent of right of first offer to be exercised by the state government of Assam which holds 12.35 per cent stake in NRL.

Last year, the Assam government had given a no-objection certificate to the NRL deal on condition that another 13.65 per cent stake in NRL will be sold to the state. This will increase the state government's stake in the company to 26 per cent.

NRL is the largest customer of OIL's crude produced from its northeastern fields. The acquisition is expected to improve synergy in OIL's portfolio, it said in a statement.

The deal is likely to happen before the privatisation process of BPCL is over. The sale of BPCL is expected to be key in achieving the Rs 1.75 lakh crore disinvestment target set for the new financial year beginning April 1 (FY2021-22).

OIL, a navratna public sector undertaking, is a fully integrated exploration and production company in the upstream sector and is the second largest national oil and gas company in India as measured by total proved plus probable oil and natural gas reserves and production.

It is engaged in the business of exploration, development and production of crude oil and natural gas, transportation of crude oil and production of LPG. The company already has 26 per cent stake in NRL.