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IOC commissions Koyali Refinery in Gujarat

New Delhi, August 16, 2004

Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. (IOC), has commissioned the country's largest Linear Alkyl Benzene (LAB) plant at its Koyali Refinery in Gujarat, marking its first major entry into the petrochemicals sector. Built at a cost of Rs. 1,248 crore, it is the largest single train kerosene-to-LAB plant in the world.

Commissioned in a record 24 months' time, the 120,000 tonnes per annum capacity plant will produce superior quality LAB for manufacturing environment-friendly biodegradable detergents, using state-of-the-art Detal technology from M/s UOP, USA. The plant will cater to domestic as well as export market requirements meeting the latest and most stringent quality standards. The key raw materials for the plant are Kerosene and Benzene sourced from Koyali Refinery itself.

Mr. M.S.Ramachandran, Chairman, IndianOil, hailed it as the first step in realising the Corporation's vision of becoming a petrochemicals major. He congratulated the employees who made the commissioning of the project in record time possible despite incessant heavy rains in Gujarat.

IndianOil's master plan to emerge as a large player in petrochemicals, predominantly utilising the product streams available in its various refineries, envisages an investment of about Rs. 25,000 crore spread over 8 years. Two major projects currently under implementation at Panipat Refinery complex under this plan include an Integrated Paraxylene/Purified Terephthallic Acid (PX/PTA) unit at a cost of Rs. 5,100 crore, which on completion by August 2005 would be the single largest capacity unit in India, besides a Naphtha Cracker and downstream polymer units at a cost of Rs. 6,300 crore, which is expected to be completed by July 2007, Mr. Ramachandran added.

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