Numaligarh Refinery records highest-ever crude throughput

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Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL) recorded its highest-ever crude throughput of 3.093 million metric tonnes (MMT) against its nameplate capacity of 3.0 MMT in the financial year 2022-23, according to the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG) on April 3.

NRL, a division of PSU crude oil producer Oil India Limited (OIL), also achieved a distillate yield of 87.6 percent, the highest since its inception.

Capital expenditure of the refinery stood at Rs 6,615 crore for FY23, highest ever till date, surpassing its earlier record of Rs 3,605 crore in the previous financial year.

“The company has concluded FY 2022-23 on a positive note with exemplary physical performance which is expected to translate into financial gains and enhanced bottom lines,” said MoPNG in a press release.

The company also recorded highest production of major refinery products such as MS (motor spirit), HSD (high speed diesel) and wax at 662.4 MT, 2,134.8 MT and 47.7 MT. LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) bottling has also been the highest ever at 65.9 TMT.

In the financial year ended March 2023, NRL commissioned a 132 km pipeline, India-Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline, to transport HSD from NRL’s Siliguri Marketing Terminal in West Bengal to Parbatipur in Bangladesh.

Upcoming plans

With an aim to increase its capacity from 3 MMTPA to 9 MMTPA, the company plans to build a crude oil import terminal in Paradip Port, Odisha and lay a 1,640 km crude oil pipeline from Paradip to Numaligarh.

NRL is also implementing the first of its kind bio refinery with bamboo biomass as feedstock at Numaligarh through a joint venture company with Finnish collaborators.

“The Bio Refinery expected to be commissioned by the end of 2023 would produce 49,000 tonnes of Ethanol and other chemicals; contributing to the nation’s objective of achieving 20% ethanol blending in petrol by the year 2025,” the press release said.

Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri lauded the company for working to achieve government’s vision for an energy self-reliant India.

India’s energy sector entities working in top gear to achieve PM Sh @narendramodi Ji’s vision for an energy self-reliant India & putting NE states on path to fast-paced development. Initiatives to boost production, refinery throughput & efficiency are showing results! @PMOIndia pic.twitter.com/rACcu9xrpi

— Hardeep Singh Puri (@HardeepSPuri) April 1, 2023