NEW DELHI: HPCL Rajasthan Refinery Limited (HRRL), which suffered a fire on April 20, a day before its scheduled inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been fully restored and has commenced production of petroleum products.
Production Restarted
In a regulatory filing, the company announced that production of key petroleum products, including BS VI-compliant high-speed diesel (HSD), liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), petroleum coke (petcoke), and naphtha, has begun. Meanwhile, production of BS VI-compliant motor spirit (MS) is expected to start next week.
The refinery has already initiated sales of LPG and petcoke, while the first batch of HSD is slated for dispatch by the end of this week. Sales of MS are also anticipated to commence after production begins next week.
Operational Updates
HPCL informed stock exchanges, "All product streams from CDU/VDU (crude and vacuum distillation unit) are being produced and routed to the respective tanks for downstream processing."
Joint Venture Details
The refinery and petrochemical complex, located in Balotra district, is a joint venture between state-owned HPCL, which holds a 74% stake, and the Rajasthan government, which owns the remaining 26% equity. The facility is designed to process 9 million tonnes of crude oil annually, producing petrol, diesel, and petrochemicals such as polypropylene, high- and linear low-density polyethylene, benzene, toluene, and butadiene.
Fire Incident
A localized fire in a heat exchanger circuit, likely caused by a hydrocarbon leak from a valve or flange, disrupted the commissioning of the Rs 79,450-crore refinery. Officials stated that the affected unit was isolated, and no other sections suffered damage. No loss of life or injuries were reported in the incident.
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