BPCL Resumes Operation at Numaligarh Refinery after Fire Incident

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources India (Delhi, India)--Government of India-owned Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited's (BPCL) (BSE: 500547) (New Delhi) 60,000-Barrels Per Day (BBL/d) Numaligarh Refinery in Assam is now back in operation. The Refinery, operated by Numaligarh Refinery Limited-- a joint venture enterprise of BPCL, Oil India Limited (BSE: 533106) (Noida, Uttar Pradesh) and the Government of Assam-- was taken to an emergency shutdown after a fire broke out at a booster pump in the refinery's 60,000-BBL/d Crude Distillation Unit (CDU) on May 31, 2013.

Due to the fire in the CDU, all major units in the refinery such as the 8,4000-BBL/d Delayed Coker Unit and the 22,200-BBL/d Hydrocracker Unit were taken on shutdown on May 31, 2013, while the MSQ block comprising of Motor Spirit plant, which has a 3,400-BBL/d Reformer, 5,500-BBL/d Naptha Hydro Treater and 1,100-BBL/d Isomerization units were later shutdown on June 6, 2013 due to shortage of feedstock.

Numaligarh Refinery Limited is a public sector oil company, started its 60,000 BBL/d refinery in October 2000. BPCL is the major share holder with 61.65% of the Company's paid up equity capital; the while the Government of Assam and Oil India Limited owns with 12.35% and 26% stake respectively. The major secondary processing units of the Refinery include Delayed Coker, Amine Treatment Unit, Sulfur Recovery Unit, Catalytic Reformer, Naphtha Hydrotreating, Isomerization unit, Coke Calcination Unit. It processes a wide range of both indigenous and imported grades of crude oil. A massive expansion plan is on the cards for Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL) to increase the capacity of the 60,000 BBL/d Refinery up to 180,000 BBL/d.

The Refinery is presently implementing several value added projects to improve its profitability. The Wax project, which would enable production of high value low volume Paraffin and Micro-Crystalline Wax utilizing inherent properties of North East Crude, is scheduled for completion by December 2013. Also, the Naphtha Splitter Project for production of 160 TMT annually of petrochemical grade Naphtha, which would be supplied as feedstock to the upcoming Assam Gas Cracker Project. The project is targeted for completion in third quarter, 2013.

BPCL is major refining company in India and owns 4 out of 21 operational refineries. The operational refineries of BPCL are Mumbai Refinery, Numaligarh refinery, Kochi refinery and Bina refinery combines 470000 BBL/D refinery capacities.

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