MOSCOW (MRC) -- India's HPCL-Mittal Energy Ltd (HMEL), part-owned by steel tycoon L N Mittal, may halt naphtha exports from the 2021-2022 fiscal year when it starts its USD3.1 B cracker, reported Reuters with reference to the chairman of Hindustan Petroleum Corp.
Like other Indian refiners, is also building a petrochemical complex linked to its refinery to cater for an expected surge in demand for goods ranging from plastics to paints and adhesives.
The cracker will have an annual capacity of 1.2 MMt with a provision to raise it to 1.5 MMt, M. K. Surana told Reuters. He said the project would cost about USD3.1 B.
State-owned refiner HPCL and Mittal Energy Investments Pvt Ltd each own a 49% stake in the project.
The cracker will have the flexibility to use naphtha, gases generated during crude oil processing and kerosene, he said.
"The project will be ready in 2021 and then we may not export naphtha," Surana said.
HMEL has recently raised capacity of its Bathinda plant in northern India by 28% to about 230,000 bpd.
HMEL is not a regular exporter of naphtha. But after recent expansion it is estimated to annually export about 250,000 t of naphtha.
As MRC informed earlier, state-owned refiner HPCL is building a new 9 mln tpa refinery-cum-petrochemical complex at Pachpadra in Rajasthan and a petrochemical complex at Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh as part of a Rs 61,000-crore expansion. HPCL will also invest part of the amount over the next four years for expanding and upgrading its existing refining capacity to meet higher quality fuel norms, the company said in an investor presentation. HPCL is upgrading both its Mumbai and Visag refineries to produce fuel meeting Euro-VI emission norms.
Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) is an Indian state-owned oil and natural gas company with its headquarters at Mumbai, Maharashtra and with Navratna status. HPCL has about 25% marketing share in India among PSUs and a strong marketing infrastructure. The Government of India owns 51.11% shares in HPCL and others are distributed amongst financial institutes, public and other investors.
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