Lanka IOC blending plant to be on stream by August

In line with the vision of the Sri Lankan government to develop Trincomalee into an industrial zone, Lanka IOC is constructing a state-ofthe-art lube blending plant with a sophisticated laboratory facility inside the China Bay tank farm area in Trincomalee, according to parent Indian Oil Corp. (IOC). The Rs500 million (US$4.5 million) plant has a capacity of 18,000 metric tons a year. The company is competes with Chevron’s Caltex brands, which is the only other blender in the island. The plant will replace Indian imports and even extend the export of its products into the nations of Maldives, Bangladesh, Mauritius and others within the year. “The plant will have the capability to manufacture all types of automotive and industrial lubricants and is expected to go on stream by August 2007,” IOC said. (May 25, 2007)