IOC to up product distribution via pipeline

As the backbone of Indian Oil Corporation Ltd’s (IOC) refining and marketing operations, its 9,300-kilometer pipeline network registered the highest ever operational throughput of 57.12 million tons last fiscal year. Compared to the previous year, the product pipelines achieved a 10.45% increase in throughput while the crude oil pipelines registered a 10.54% growth. The company is looking at increasing transportation through pipelines by 30-33%. The capacity of the pipeline network is 61.74 million tonnes per annum (mtpa). IOC is ferrying 35.85 mtpa of crude oil and 21.27 mtpa petroleum products through pipelines. IOC has 66 installations to monitor the pipelines. Last fiscal, IOC has opened new facilities at Mundra port, on the West Coast, for handling heavy crude oil and blending of heavy and normal grades (July 21, 2008)</P>