India's MRPL aims to start 100,000 bpd crude unit from Saturday

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India's Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd expects to operate its 100,000 barrel per day (bpd) crude unit, representing about a third of the plant's overall capacity, at a full rate from Saturday.

MRPL had shut the crude unit on Friday due to a minor fire inside the vacuum heater, M. Venkatesh, Director of Refinery, told Reuters on Tuesday.

"We have taken necessary action ... and we hope to operate the unit at full capacity by Saturday," Venkatesh said.

MRPL operates a 300,000 bpd coastal refinery in southern state of Karnataka.

(Reporting by Nidhi Verma, editing by Louise Heavens)