India’s HPCL resumes operations at Vizag refinery

Operations have resumed at Hindustan Petroleum Corp. Ltd.’s (HPCL) 8.3 million-tonne/year Vishakapatnam (Vizag) refinery on India’s eastern coast following initial repair work to damage resulting from Tropical Cyclone Hudhud, which hit the port city on Oct. 12.

The Vizag refinery became fully functional by Oct. 26, with the plant reaching about 90% of its normal throughput levels, HPCL said in a Nov. 5 notice to National Stock Exchange of India Ltd.

Temporary repairs to cooling tower cells damaged during the cyclone were conducted sequentially, allowing the primary units to restart, HPCL said.

Permanent repairs, which are now under way, are due to be completed by early December, at which time the refinery will be able to reach its full 100% crude processing capacity, the state-owned company said.