HPCL seeks partners for Vizag refinery expansion

Dec. 8, 2006
State-run refiner Hindustan Petroleum Corp. Ltd. (HPCL) is seeking partners for investments, oil procurement, and product marketing as part of its proposed Visakhapatnam (Vizag) refinery expansion.

Shirish Nadkarni
OGJ Correspondent

MUMBAI, Dec. 8 -- State-run refiner Hindustan Petroleum Corp. Ltd. (HPCL) is seeking partners for investments, oil procurement, and product marketing as part of its proposed Visakhapatnam (Vizag) refinery expansion.

HPCL plans to expand the Vizag refinery's capacity to 16.5 million tonnes/year from 7.5 million tonnes/year. Project consultant Engineers India Ltd. estimates the expansion cost at $2 billion.

Once the proposed expansion is completed, HPCL plans to dismantle an uneconomical plant having a capacity of 1.5 million tonnes/year. The effective net refining capacity of the Vizag plant then would be 15 million tonnes/year.