MRPL gets 1st parcel of crude from Rajasthan fields

Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals LtdONGC's subsidiary Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd got its first consignment of crude from Cairn India's prolific Rajasthan fields on Friday. Cairn Energy India Ltd supplied the 29,000-ton parcel of Mangala crude transported via Kandla port at Gujarat to New Mangalore Port through tanker Cougar.

Sushil Kumar Pillay, DGM (marine operations and regional manager), Cairn Energy India Ltd, handed over the first parcel to U K Basu, MD, MRPL under the National Exploration Licensing Policy of the central government.

MRPL, currently enhancing its crude processing capacity, would get about 0.2 million metric tonnes of crude in the financial year 2009-10 and 0.4 million metric tonnes (MMT) in the next financial year. Mr. Basu said, "Mangala crude can not be processed because of its nature on a stand alone basis and will be mixed with Bombay High Crude in 1:4 ratio."

Mr. Basu said that MRPL had earlier received crude from Sudan and Sakalin (OVL) crude from Russia in 2003 and 2006 respectively. The recent development would reduce MRPL's import dependence on low sulphur crude like Nile Blend, Sokol and Nigerian grades, besides enhancing country's energy security.