Numaligarh Refinery to import crude oil via Paradip port.

Numaligarh Refinery Ltd. (NRL) recentlysigned a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Paradip Port Trust (PPT) and Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL) for imports of crude oil through the major port.

The crude oil imports are meant for catering to NRL’s capacity expansion wherein it is augmenting capacity of its refinery at Numaligarh (Assam) to nine million tonne per annum, from three mtpa now.

Under NRL’s proposed refinery expansion project, a 28-inch diameter, 1400-km crude oil pipeline of one mtpa capacity will be laid for transporting six mtpa of imported crude oil from Paradip Port in Odisha to Numaligarh in Assam. The MoU provides for utilising IOCL’s spare capacity of existing SPMs (Single Point Mooring) at Paradip. PPT will extend land space for installation of crude storage tanks, pump house and township at Paradip. This will lead to an estimated investment of Rs 1,000 crore in Odisha and generate direct and indirect employment.

The tripartiate MoU was signed between chairman of Paradip Port Trust Rinkesh Roy, director (technical) at NRL B J Phukan and executive director (pipelines) of IOCL A K Tiwari in the presence of Union minister for road transport, highways and shipping Nitin Gadkari and minister of state for petroleum & natural gas Dharmendra Pradhan.

NRL is a joint venture between Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL), Oil India Ltd and the Assam government.

BS