Top India refiner plans US$3.5bil expansion

MUMBAI: India’s biggest oil refiner Indian Oil Corp is planning to invest as much as US$3.5bil in the year beginning April 1, or about a fifth more than the previous year, to expand and upgrade its refineries and boost its marketing network, according to people with knowledge of the matter.

The company planned to use internal resources for the capital expenditure and had no plans to raise loans or issue bonds, the people said, asking not to be identified as they aren’t authorised to speak to the media.

Cash generation at all its refineries had improved and even the newest at Paradip in eastern India is likely to report a profit for the first time this year, they said.

A New Delhi-based spokesman for Indian Oil couldn’t immediately comment on the investment and financial plans.

Expansion of refining and marketing capacities is crucial for the refiner to maintain its leading position in the world’s fastest-growing oil consumer.

It controlled about 35% of the nation’s oil refining capacity and 45% of the domestic petroleum-products market in the year ended March 31, 2017.

The company is facing competition from private refiners, which more than doubled their fuel retail market share in three years.

Indian Oil is likely to invest about 190 billion rupees (US$2.9bil) rupees on expansion of its refining and petrochemicals capacities, pipeline network and marketing infrastructure in the year ending March 31.