Numaligarh Refinery records highest crude output of over 3 mln tn

05 Apr 2023 CW Team

In the fiscal year 2022-23, the Numaligarh Refinery Ltd (NRL) achieved its highest-ever crude throughput of 3.093 million tonne against its nominal capacity of 3.0 million tonne, according to the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas.

The firm has also recorded the greatest distillate yield since its start, at 87.6%.

NRL has maintained its capital expenditure at 6,615 crore, the highest ever recorded, surpassing its previous record of 3,605 crore in FY2021-22.

The corporation ended FY2022-23 on a high note, with exceptional physical performance that is likely to translate into financial advantages and improved bottom lines.

“Major refinery products such as MS, HSD and Wax have shown highest ever production figures at 662.4 MT, 2,134.8 MT and 47.7 MT. LPG bottling has also been the highest ever at 65.9 TMT," it said.

Another highlight of the fiscal year was the successful commissioning and inauguration of the India-Bangladesh friendship pipeline on March 18, 2023 by the prime ministers of India and Bangladesh.

The 132 km pipeline with a capacity of 1 MTPA was developed to convey HSD from NRL's Siliguri Marketing Terminal in West Bengal to Parbatipur in Bangladesh.

The refinery is undergoing a massive capacity expansion push to boost its capacity from 3 MMTPA to 9 MMTPA, which includes the construction of a crude oil import terminal at Paradip Port, Odisha, and the installation of a 1,640km crude oil pipeline from Paradip to Numaligarh.

NRL is also constructing the first of its kind bio-refinery in Numaligarh, using bamboo biomass as feedstock, through a joint venture with Finnish partners. The bio-refinery, which is projected to be operational by the end of 2023, will produce 49,000 tonnes of ethanol and other chemicals, contributing to the country's goal of achieving 20% ethanol blending in gasoline by 2025.