IndianOil to deploy indigenous FCC technology at Paradip Refinery

In a major fillip to indigenous petroleum R&D, Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. (IndianOil), the largest commercial enterprise in India and the flagship national oil company, is all set to deploy its own FCC (Fluidised Catalytic Cracking) technology at its upcoming 15 million tonnes integrated Paradip Refinery-cum-Petrochemicals complex on the east coast of India.

An agreement to this effect was signed at IndianOil's R&D Centre at Faridabad today by Dr. R. P. Verma, Executive Director (R&D), IndianOil, and Mr. P. Sur, General Manager (Projects-Process), Refineries Division, IndianOil, in the presence of Mr. Sarthak Behuria, Chairman, IndianOil, and Mr. B. N. Bankapur, Director (Refineries), IndianOil.

Addressing media persons at the R&D Centre in Faridabad today, Mr Behuria said that the novel refining process technology named INDMAX (Indane Maximisation) developed by IndianOil's world-class R&D Centre enables high yields of LPG and high-octane gasoline (petrol) by using various refinery streams, including heavy residues and naphtha as feedstock. A demo plant of 100,000 tonnes per annum capacity based on the technology is already operational at IndianOil's Guwahati Refinery since June 2003. The proprietary technology and catalyst formulation have earned US, European and Indian patents and were conferred awards by the Department of Science & Technology (DST) and the Department of Industrial & Scientific Research (DSIR) of the Government of India in 2004, he said.

The INDMAX process uses a special catalyst. A manufacturing facility for the same is being put up in association with InterCat, USA, in Gujarat. This development has catapulted IndianOil into the league of select multinational licensors such as UOP, Stone & Webster and Shell, Mr Behuria added.

IndianOil's R&D Centre, ranked among Asia's finest, has taken a lead in developing and commercially deploying innovative flagship technologies in the petroleum-refining sector. Besides pioneering work in lubricants formulation, refinery processes, pipeline transportation and alternative fuels, the Centre is also the nodal agency of the Indian hydrocarbon sector for ushering in Hydrogen fuel in the country. It has developed two other key process technologies, viz, DHDS/DHDT Technology for producing Euro-III and Euro-IV grade diesel and IndeTreat / IndeSweet for removal of sulphur compounds from lighter petroleum fractions, viz., LPG, Gasoline and ATF.

IndianOil's Paradip Refinery

IndianOil is setting up an integrated refinery-cum-petrochemicals complex at Paradip in Orissa. To be commissioned by 2011-12, the complex will comprise a 15 million tonnes per annum refinery and facilities for production of front-end petrochemicals, including Paraxylene, Polypropylene and Styrene.

The site for the project, consisting of over 3,000 acres of land, has been fully developed by dredging and filling along with construction of approach roads, bridges, water & power supply, boundary wall, etc. Work is currently in full swing for the construction of the mega refinery-cum-petrochemical complex.

IndianOil has already installed a large crude oil terminal along with a Single Point Mooring (SPM) terminal on the coast for handling very large crude carriers (VLCCs) for its refineries at Haldia and Barauni, and the same terminal will be expanded for receipt and handling of crude oil for Paradip Refinery.

Source : Equity Bulls

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