IOCL lets contract for Panipat refinery

Indian Oil Corp. Ltd. (IOCL) has let a contract to McDermott International Inc. to provide process technology for a grassroots fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) unit at IOCL’s 314,000-b/d Panipat refinery and petrochemical complex in Haryana, India, north of New Delhi.

As part of the contract, McDermott will deliver technology licensing, basic engineering, proprietary equipment, training, and technical services for an FCC unit that will be equipped with INDMAX technology, which—developed in partnership with IOCL—is licensed by McDermott’s Lummus Technology division, the service provider said.

The INDMAX FCC forms part of IOCL’s project to expand petrochemicals production at the Panipat refining complex.

This FCC unit is part of a refinery expansion project for IOCL to grow into petrochemicals at the complex in Panipat, McDermott said.

McDermott, which valued the contract at $1-50 million, confirmed the award will be reflected in its second-quarter backlog.

A timeframe for completion of the project was not disclosed.

Most recently, IOCL let a series of contracts to Emerson Electric Co., St. Louis, to provide services related to a major modernization and upgrade of operations and emissions programs to increase operational efficiency, reduce emissions, and expand production of cleaner fuels at several of its refineries—including Panipat—to ensure compliance with India’s looming more-stringent environmental standards by helping the plants meet the country’s new Bharat Stage VI (BS-VI, equivalent to Euro 6) low-sulfur emissions standards for fuels that, upon taking effect in April 2020, will mandate a maximum sulfur content of 10 ppm (OGJ Online, Mar. 12, 2019).

IOCL’s board also has approved a 231 billion-rupee project that would expand the Panipat refinery’s nameplate capacity to more than 500,000 b/d as well as add a polypropylene (PP) production unit at the site, according to IOCL’s web site. Further details on the proposed capacity expansion and new PP unit have yet to be revealed.

Contact Robert Brelsford at [email protected].