An Indian Consortium consisting of IOCL, BPCL and HPCL and Saudi Aramco signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) today to jointly develop and build an integrated refinery and petrochemicals complex, Ratnagiri refinery & petrochemicals (RRPCL), in the state of Maharashtra. 

The strategic partnership brings together crude supply, resources, technologies, experience and expertise of these multiple oil companies. Saudi Aramco may also seek to include a strategic partner to co-invest in the project. 

A pre-feasibility study for the refinery has been completed, and the parties are now finalising the project’s overall configuration. Following the signing of the MoU, the parties will extend their collaboration to discuss the formation of a joint venture that would provide for joint ownership, control and management of the project.

The refinery will be capable of processing 1.2 million barrels of crude oil per day (60 million metric tonnes per annum, or MMTPA). It will produce a range of refined petroleum products, including petrol and diesel meeting BS-VI fuel efficiency norms. The refinery will also provide feedstock for the integrated petrochemicals complex, which will be capable of producing approximately 18 million tonnes per annum of petrochemical products.

In addition to the refinery, cracker and downstream petrochemicals facilities, the project will also include the development of associated facilities such as a logistics, crude oil and product storage terminals, raw water supply project as well as centralised and shared utilities.

RRPCL will rank among the world’s largest refining & petrochemicals projects and will be designed to meet India’s fast-growing fuels and petrochemicals demand.  The project cost is estimated at around Rs.3 lakh crore (USD 44 billion).

Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Dharmendra Pradhan said that this is a joint partnership between the consortium from India consisting of IOCL, HPCL and BPCL and Saudi Aramco & an additional strategic partner on a 50:50 basis. 

The Minister said that this project, with an estimated investment of over Rs. 3 lakh crore, would bring huge benefits to the Region, the State of Maharashtra and the entire country in terms of large-scale employment generation, direct and indirect, as well as the all-around economic development of the Region.

Saudi Aramco President and CEO, Amin H. Nasser said that the signing of MoU marks a significant development in India’s Oil & Gas sector. He further stated that participating in this mega project will allow Saudi Aramco to go beyond the role of crude oil supplier to a fully integrated position which supports India’s future energy demands.  He also noted the opening of Aramco Asia’s New Delhi Office in 2017 with a mandate to expand the Saudi Aramco’s international portfolio.