India's Refining Capacity and Export Trends in Focus

23 Dec 2024 CW Team

India, the world's fourth-largest refiner, reported a refining capacity of 256.8 million metric tons per annum (MMTPA) as of April 2024, as per the Petroleum Planning and Analysis Cell (PPAC). With 22 operational refineries, private firms hold a significant 34.3% share, positioning India as the second-largest refiner in Asia.

Refinery Expansion Projects India is scaling up its refining capacity with major projects underway:

Cauvery Basin Refinery (CBR), Nagapattinam: Capacity to increase from 1 MMTPA to 9 MMTPA. Numaligarh Refinery: Expansion from 3 MMTPA to 9 MMTPA. HPCL Rajasthan Refinery Ltd.: A joint venture between HPCL and the Rajasthan Government with a planned capacity of 9 MMTPA.

Production and Utilization

For H1 of FY 2024-25, India processed 132.1 million metric tons (MMT) of crude oil, achieving an average capacity utilization of 102.9%, nearly matching the 103% utilization from the previous fiscal year. Total petroleum product output during this period was 139.9 MMT, categorized as:

Lighter distillates (LPG, motor spirit): 35% Middle distillates (HSD, ATF): 51.6% Heavy ends (petcoke, fuel oil): 13.4% HSD dominated domestic production at 43.1%, followed by motor spirit (16.6%) and naphtha (6.7%).

Export and Import Trends Crude Oil Imports: Rising domestic consumption pushed crude oil imports up by 3.2% in H1 FY 2024-25. POL Product Exports: Exports grew by 3% in volume but fell 6.6% in value terms, dropping from $23.7 billion in H1 FY 2023-24 to $22.1 billion in H1 FY 2024-25. High-speed diesel (HSD), motor spirit (MS), and aviation turbine fuel (ATF) led the export basket, contributing 40.9%, 22.7%, and 14.1%, respectively.

India's refining sector continues to evolve, driven by capacity expansion, efficient utilization, and growing demand for petroleum products, both domestically and internationally.

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