Record crude throughput by NRL in 2009-10

In the fiscal 2009-10, Assam-based Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL) had registered a record crude throughput of 2.62 Million Metric Tonnes (MMT), the highest ever in the history of its operations. NRL’s previous highest crude throughput of 2.57 MMT was recorded in 2007-08.

At the 17th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the company, held today in Guwahati, the company declared a dividend of 15 per cent (Rs 1.50 per equity share) for the year 2009-10 on the paid up share capital. The AGM was presided over by S Radhakrishnan, chairman and managing director of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), who is also the chairman of NRL, and was attended by BK Das, managing director of NRL.

In the previous fiscal, NRL achieved a sales turnover of Rs 7,874 crore, posting a gross refining margin of $11.19 per barrel. The company’s profit before tax grew by 13.2 per cent to Rs 361.71 crore. Profit after tax was posted at Rs 232.08 crore. The total dividend to be paid by NRL for the fiscal 2009-10 to its shareholders, namely BPCL, Oil India Limted (OIL) and government of Assam is Rs 110.34 crore.

BPCL is the largest stakeholder in NRL with an equity participation of 62.5 per cent, followed by 12.35 per cent each by OIL and Assam government.

A company statement stated that distillate yield (yield of high value liquid petroleum products) of NRL during 2009-10 was recorded at 85.32 per cent, showing an improved performance against previous year’s figure of 84.72 per cent.

The company claimed that by virtue of adopting advanced technologies, such as extreme high pressure-temperature hydrocracking, NRL’s distillate yield is one of the highest amongst refineries in the country.

Recently, NRL had achieved the feat of being the first refinery in the North-East to produce and despatch Euro-IV grade Motor Spirit (Petrol) and Euro-IV HSD (Diesel) in compliance with the requirement of Auto Fuel policy of the central government.

On the safety front, the refinery was able to sustain its impeccable track record as not a single accident was reported in the last 8 years and 5 months.

On retail marketing front, NRL’s per pump throughput (PPT) during 2009-10 was 256 KL per month for the North-East and 234 KL per month on all-India basis. NRL’s retail market share in the North East reached 13 per cent as on March 31, 2010. NRL’s retail Outlet at Jorabat has remained the highest selling petrol pump amongst all oil companies in the entire Eastern Region of the country.