IOC’s Paradip refinery expected to start in Q1-2013, a year behind schedule

12-Aug-11

State-owned Indian Oil Corporation’s (IOC) Paradip Refinery in Orissa is expected to be completed one year after the pre-decided schedule in Q1-2013. This delay could pose some tax problems for IOC. The seven year income tax holiday for the refining sector ends next year. Refineries commissioning after March 31, 2012 will not be eligible for exclusion from payment of income tax on revenues earned for first seven years of operations. IOC had previously stated that the refinery will start producing fuel by March 2012 when it will commission the primary units like Crude Distillation Unit. Secondary units will be commissioned by July, 2012, and operations stabilised by November 2012. Paradip refinery is being planned with production capacity of 5.97 mln tons of diesel, 3.4 mln tons of petrol, 1.45 mln tons of kerosene/ATF, 536,000 tons of LPG, 124,000 tons of naphtha and 335,000 tons of sulphur, all of which will be for sale in the domestic market rather than export as it was earlier thought, due to steep rise in fuel demand at home. Some 200,000 tons of propylene to be produced by the unit may be exported.