Russia-Ukraine standoff impacted oil prices and equity markets. Brent crude prices have risen sharply. MK Surana, CMD, HPCL, speaks on factors currently affecting the crude prices.
From the side-lines of CERAWeek India Energy Forum, CNBC-TV18’s Anshu Sharma caught up with MK Surana, CMD of Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL).
MK Surana, CMD of Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd expects to end FY17 with GRMs of around USD 6 per barrel.
The decision of the OPEC countries to cut output in an effort to reduce global glut has created ripples in the oil market. But, HPCL's Chief, MK Surana believes prices will not rise substantially.
Merging all the oil companies into one entity looks difficult even though it has financial benefits, says HPCL‘s Chairman and Managing Director, MK Surana, commenting on the Finance Minister Arun Jaitley‘s Budget proposal to merge state oil firms to create an oil behemoth
Such exemptions would aid funds infusion into infrastructure projects and also allow for potentially reasonable returns, said M K Surana, Chairman and Managing Director, HPCL.
In an interview to CNBC-TV18, MK Surana, CMD of HPCL spoke about the latest happenings in his company and sector.
To promote its 'go cashless campaign', the government is leaving no stone unturned and in a similar effort, HPCL is giving cashback and rewards on fuel purchases for payments made by cards. Speaking to CNBC-TV18, MK Surana, CMD of the company said that cashless purchase has doubled from what it was before the roll-out of demonetisation.
"We are committed to promote the cashless economy as has been the agenda of the government", MK Surana, CMD of Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) told CNBC-TV18.
Speaking to CNBC-TV18 MK Surana, CMD of HPCL said that as long as cracks are maintained, refinery margins would be on track. The term "crack" is derived from the fluid catalytic cracking of crude oil, which is used to refine crude oil into petroleum products.
In conversation with CNBC-TV18, MK Surana, CMD of the company, says HPCL witnessed an inventory loss of of $1 per barrel.
The company is looking at expanding its Visakhapatnam Refinery from 8.33 million tonnes (mt) to 15 mt with a cost of Rs 20,900 crore, said Chairman and Managing Director MK Surana of HPCL.
Speaking to CNBC-TV18 MK Surana, CMD, HPCL said the fuel consumption data for August was highest in five years. From April till July the increase in Motor Spirit was 11.2 percent and High Speed Diesel was 4.3 percent.
In an interview with CNBC-TV18, MK Surana, CMD of HPCL said that it will bring in better operational efficiency to improve its gross refining margins (GRMs) going ahead and will maintain GRMs if there is an upward stability in crude.
In an interview with CNBC-TV18, MK Surana, CMD of HPCL said that the first quarter GRM does not include inventory gains.
The company plans to grow both Visakhapatnam (Vizag) and Mumbai refineries. The Vizag expansion plant is already work in progress, said MK Surana, Chairman and Managing Director, HPCL.
Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd has informed exchanges that the board has recommended increase in the company's share capital to Rs 2,500 crore and issue of fully-paid bonus shares in the ratio of two for every one held.
The company has robust capex plans of around Rs 6300 crore for FY17. Both the Mumbai and Visakhapatnam refineries will go in for expansion, said MK Surana, Chairman and Managing Director, HPCL.