BPCL to invest Rs 20,000 crore for integrated expansion of Kochi refinery

Bharat Petroleum Corp. Ltd. (BPCL) recently laid the foundation stone of a major expansion and modernization project at its Kochi refinery at a ceremony attended by
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The expansion of the refinery will raise the plant’s total refining capacity from the current 9.5 million tons per year (mt/yr) to 15.5 mt/ yr. The modernization program will also make the refinery capable of producing auto- fuels compliant with Bharat Stage 4 and 5 specifications. The project, which involves an investment of Rs 20,000 crore (US$3.7 billion), will enhance the supply of petroleum fuels such as kerosene, LPG, petrol and diesel fuel, and will have multiplier effects on Kerala’s economy. It will provide additional employment and income opportunities to the people of the state, the Prime Minister said.
 
“The expanded Kochi Refinery would be world class both in technology and in the scale of operations. This is in line with our objective of establishing world class manufacturing units as Kerala and India develops and gets integrated with the global economy,’’ the Prime Minister said, adding that BPCL has also made some significant successes in the upstream exploration and production sector, specifically in Mozambique and Brazil.
“With a refining capacity of 215 million metric tons per annum, India today is not only self-sufficient in meeting the demand of petroleum products, but is also making substantial exports. During 2011-12, India exported 60.8 million metric tons of petroleum products worth Rs2, 85,000 crore (US$53 billion), making petroleum products our single largest merchandise export,” the Prime Minister added.
 
Oil and gas production in the country will continue to meet India’s energy demands for many years, he said, and it would remain dependent on imports of a large part of its crude oil needs unless India develops sufficient crude oil production or acquires oil assets abroad. (January 7, 2013)