TEZPUR, Feb 15 ? The Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL), popularly known as the ?Assam Accord Refinery?, which was included in the Accord signed on August 15, 1985, as a part of the Centre?s economic package for speedy development of Assam, is now trying to export its products, to geographically contiguous countries like Bangladesh, Bhutan and Myanmar, according to BK Das, Managing Director, NRL.
Talking exclusively to this correspondent at Tezpur University complex, Das said being logistically easy to access through road, rail and river routes, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Myanmar are a natural market for the Numaligarh refinery. Officials of the refinery will be visiting Myanmar soon, Das said.
Claiming that the NRL will be able to eliminate the deficit of LPG and kerosene in the north-eastern region in the days to come, Das said that NRL is also trying to send its products to West Bengal, Bihar, Orissa, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh. Besides, it has also been trying for exporting the winter grade diesel produced by the NRL to Bhutan.
Looking further for the growth of industrial development of the north-eastern region, particularly Assam, a proposal for building a product pipeline from NRL to Siliguri, the main corridor of the region, is at the final stage, Das informed. The project, in which Oil India Limited and Bharat Petroleum are associates, will bring an investment to the tune of Rs 600 crore, he added.
Exploring the possibility of producing low-volume high-value products based on inherent strength of the North East crude, the NRL has incorporated long-term plan proposals for production of wax, including micro-crystalline wax, aromatic recovery from naphtha, setting up of a reformer for production of MS and setting up of a DHDS plant for meeting Euro III specification for winter grade diesel, Das said adding that subject to crude oil availability and demand growth in future, the NRL has also kept flexibility in the master plan for expansion by additional three million metric tonnes per annum.
In order to improve viability, the ?Assam Accord Refinery?, set up in Golaghat district at Rs 2700 crore and commissioned timely, decided to take up marketing of POL products (both retail and consumers) in the region and contiguous areas. By 2007, at least 510 retail outlets will be set up by the NRL itself, Das said adding that the first retail of this kind will be launched in March next.
Talking about the ecological and environment of the refinery, the Managing Director said the historic refinery has been built adhering to highest standards of safety and environmental protection. It has the technical capability to deliver products as per international specifications on HSD without any additional infrastructure support.
Right from the inception, conscious efforts have been taken at every step to preserve the environment and to ensure that there is no adverse impact on the Kaziranga National Park, adjacent to it. Further, a green belt around the refinery has also been created, the Managing Director added.