Expansion of Bongaigaon Refinery capacity sought
New Delhi   20-Dec-2010

Assam's Bharatiya Janata Party general secretary Prodyut Bora on Sunday demanded that the refining capacity of the Bongaigaon Refinery of the IndianOil (IOCL) be increased to five million metric tonnes per annum (MMTPA) from the existing capacity of 2.35 MMTPA.

In a letter to the IOCL Chairman and Director (Planning and Business Development), Mr. Bora pointed out that from an initial installed refining capacity of one MMPTA, the refinery's capacity had been expanded to 2.35 MMTPA in phases till 1995.

However there had been no expansion in capacity thereafter.

Direct contrast

“This is in direct contrast to the IOC's response to other refineries, where capacities have been regularly increased, and in many cases even doubled in the current year,” Mr. Bora said.

He suggested that for expanding the refining capacity the existing crude oil pipeline between Bongaigaon and Barauni, the other crude oil pipeline between Barauni and Haldia Port be utilised for inflow of domestic/imported crude.

Two channels

“For the outflow of the augmented petroleum products, two channels could be used — one, the Guwahati Siliguri Product Pipeline, and, two, inland waterways.

"The marketing of Assam-refined oil could not only be in North Bengal and Bihar, but markets could also be explored in Bangladesh and Myanmar. This would be perfectly in synchronisation with the Government of India's ‘Look East' policy,” Mr. Bora said.