Oil Refineries in India

Oil Refineries in India Extracted crude oil is refined and processed in refineries to produce light distillates (motor gasoline, LPG, naphtha), middle distillates such as diesel and kerosene, and heavy ends (fuel and lubricating oils, bitumen, petroleum coke). India has witnessed a spectacular growth in refining sector in the recent past.

There are 17 refineries in the country-IS in public sector; one in private sector [installed capacity of 112.54 million metric tonnes per annum (MMTPA)]; and one in joint sector. The one refinery in the joint sector is the 9.69 million tl)nneS capacity Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited (MRPL). The Reliance Petroleum Limited is the only refinery in the private sector. It was commissioned during 1999-2000. Some of the important refineries are discussed in detail below.

Digboi Refinery It is India's oldest-established in 1901-and the first modern refinery. Set up in Assam, it has an installed capacity of 5.20 lakh tonnes. It is fed crude oil from the Moran and Naharkatiya fields to cater to the requirements of north-east states.


Noonmati Refinery Situated in Noonmati (near Gauhati) is this refinery owned by the Indian Oil Corporation. It started production in 1962 with a capacity of 8.8 lakh tonnes. It refines and processes crude from the Moran and Naharkatiya oilfields.
Visakhapatnam Refinery Started in 1957 to process imported crude, its installed capacity is 15.5 lakh tonnes. It is owned by Hindustan Petroleum.


Barauni Refinery Located near Patna, the Barauni refinery owned by the Indian Oil was set up in collaboration with the USSR. It began production in 1964 and has a refining capacity of 33 lakh tonnes. It receives crude from oilfields in Assam.

Koyali Refinery Commissioned in 1965 with Soviet help, it refines and processes crude oil from Ankaleshwar oilfields and others in northern Gujarat. This refinery near Vadodara is owned by the Indian Oil Corporation. Its capacity has seen a drastic rise-from 20 lakh tonnes at the time of installation to more than 50 lakh tonnes.

Haldia Refinery The Indian Oil-owned refinery near Calcutta was set up with Romanian and French help and it started production in early 1975. It has a capacity of 25 lakh tonnes.

Bongaigaon Refinery The refinery and petrochemical establishment was set up in 1978 west of Gauhati with a capacity of 10 lakh tonnes.

Mathura Refineni The refinery has a refining capacity of 60 lakh tonnes. It caters to the demands of north-western India by utilising crude from Bombay High as well as imported crude. It is owned by the Indian Oil Corporation.

The Trombay Refineries The refinery owned by Hindustan Petroleum Corporation was commissioned in 1954 and the other owned by Bharat Petroleum Corpora­tion started production in 1955. The latter, with a capacity of 52.5 lakh tonnes, is fed imported-mainly, Iranian­crude and oil from the Ankleshwar fields.

Cochin Refinery Set up in 1966 by the Indian Govern­ment in collaboration with the American Phillips Petroleum Company, the refinery processing imported crude has increased its refining capacity from the initial 25 lakh tonnes to about 33 lakh tonnes.

Madras Refinery The Indian Government collaborated with the National Iranian Oil Company and the American AMOCO to set up this complex which started production in 1969. It has a refining capacity of 28 lakh tonnes. The sophisticated refinery was the first to yield superior lubri­cating oils and elemental sulphur.