Indian Consortium and Saudi Aramco sign MoU for Ratnagiri Mega Refinery in Maharashtra
New Deljhi/Mumbai, Apr 11 (IBNS): The Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas announced that an Indian consortium consisting of IOCL, BPCL and HPCL and Saudi Aramco signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Wednesday.
The MoU is regarding the joint development and building of an integrated refinery and petrochemicals complex, Ratnagiri Refinery & Petrochemicals Ltd. (RRPCL) in Maharashtra.
Saudi Aramco may also seek to include a strategic partner to co-invest in the project, a released from the ministry said.
The strategic partnership brings together crude supply, resources, technologies, experience and expertise of these multiple oil companies with an established commercial presence around the world.
A pre-feasibility study for the refinery has been completed, and the parties are now finalising the project’s overall configuration.
Following the signing of the MoU, the parties will discuss the formation of a joint venture that would provide for joint ownership, control and management of the project.
The refinery will be capable of processing 1.2 million barrels of crude oil per day (60 million metric tonnes per annum, or MMTPA), according to the release.
It will produce a range of refined petroleum products, including petrol and diesel meeting BS-VI fuel efficiency norms.
The Refinery will also provide feedstock for the integrated petrochemicals complex, which will be capable of producing approx. 18 million tonnes per annum of petrochemical products.
In addition to the refinery, cracker and downstream petrochemicals facilities, the project will also include the development of associated facilities such as a logistics, crude oil and product storage terminals, raw water supply project as well as centralised and shared utilities.
RRPCL will rank among the world’s largest refining & petrochemicals projects and will be designed to meet India’s fast-growing fuels and petrochemicals demand, the ministry said in its release.
The project cost is estimated at around rupees three lakh crore (USD 44 billion).
Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Dharmendra Pradhan, said that this a joint partnership between the consortium from India consisting of IOCL, HPCL and BPCL and Saudi Aramco and an additional strategic partner on a 50:50 basis.
The Minister said that this project, with an estimated investment of over rupees three lakh crore, will bring huge benefits to the region, including Maharashtra, in terms of large-scale employment generation, direct and indirect, as well as all-round economic development.
Saudi Aramco President and CEO, Amin H. Nasser said that the signing of MoU marks a significant development in India’s Oil & Gas Sector.
He said that participating in this mega project will allow Saudi Aramco to go beyond the role of crude oil supplier to a fully integrated position which supports India’s future energy demands.
He also mentioned about the opening of Aramco Asia’s New Delhi Office in 2017 with a mandate to expand the Saudi Aramco’s international portfolio in this key economic growth region.
Image: Petroleum Ministry/Twitter
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