Steps taken for capacity expansion of Digboi refinery; Assam CM thanks PM

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri for taking steps for capacity expansion of the country's oldest operating refinery at Digboi.

In a letter to the chief minister, Puri said that the Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) has already initiated action for expansion of its Digboi refinery from 0.65 million metric tonnes per annum to 1 MMTPA.

"I am so happy to receive the letter from the Union minister about action on capacity expansion of Digboi Refinery," Sarma tweeted.

He attached the letter to his Twitter post.

"Assam bows in gratitude to Hon PM Sri @narendramodi for his generous margdarshan and support," the chief minister said in the tweet.

He also thanked Union Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Rameshwar Teli.

In his letter, Puri said the configuration study is expected to be completed by January 2022 followed by first stage investment approval by March 2022.

"IOCL has also taken up the matter for increasing the existing Duliajan-Digboi crude pipeline capacity from 0.65 MMTPA to one MMTPA with Oil India Limited (OIL) to meet the crude requirement for the enhanced capacity of Digboi refinery," Puri said in the letter.

Digboi Refinery, commissioned on 11th December 1901, is India's oldest operating refinery and one of the oldest operating refineries in the world.

"Further, the capacity expansion from one MMTPA to 1.2 MMTPA of Guwahati Refinery of IOCL is in progress and is expected to be completed by October, 2023," the letter read.