BPCL to develop Numaligarh as export hub for Bangladesh, Nepal.

State-run Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited has decided to develop its Assam-based Numaligarh Refinery as an export hub for petroleum products to neighbouring Bangladesh and Nepal. While the company is planning to lay a 130-km oil pipeline connecting the refinery's marketing terminal at Siliguri in West Bengal with Parbatipur in Bangladesh, it has already signed an agreement with Nepal's Birat Petroleum for supplying petroleum products.

'We are hopeful of starting the survey work of Siliguri to Parbatipur pipeline in a month's time,' a top executive at the refinery told ET on condition of anonymity. 'Bangladesh government is very keen on the project.'

The pipeline will cost Rs. 200 crore and have a carrying capacity of 1 million metric tonne per annum (mmtpa) of high speed diesel (HSD). 'Initially, Numaligarh Refinery will export HSD to Bangladesh. We also have plans to enter Myanmar,' the executive quoted earlier said, adding that a team from the refinery will shortly visit Bangladesh to firm up the agreement.


ET