India’s OMPL selects UOP tech for aromatics plant

07 December 2007 16:04  [Source: ICIS news]

NEW DELHI (ICIS news)--India’s ONGC Mangalore Petrochemicals Limited (OMPL) has selected UOP of the US as technology provider for its aromatics complex at Mangalore in Karnataka.

A government official told ICIS news on Friday OMPL would pay UOP $95.21m (€65m) plus €1.25m for the supply of know-how fee, basic engineering, training services, proprietary equipment, catalyst and adsorbents and fees for services provided by foreign technicians.

UOP’s bid offered “better net present value”, the official said, adding that the firm had been selected through global competitive bidding and that project management consultant Toyo Engineering India had evaluated the bids.

In its application to the government, OMPL nows envisaged paraxylene capacity of 905,000 tonnes/year against the earlier proposed 920,000 tonnes/year.

Similarly, it has mentioned benzene capacity at 271,000 tonnes/year, as compared with the original 140,000 tonnes/year.

The aromatics complex would also produce 151,000 tonnes/year of raffinate and 18,000 tonnes/year of liquefied petroleum gas. It is expected to start commercial production by 2010-end.

Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) and its subsidiary Mangalore Refinery & Petrochemicals Limited (MRPL) would hold a combined 49% stake in OMPL, with the balance offered to strategic and public investors.

The Indian rupees (Rs) 48.52bn ($1.23bn) aromatics complex would be located in 588-hectare special economic zone (SEZ) which would be developed and managed by Mangalore SEZ Limited (MSL), a JV promoted by ONGC.

The complex would receive naphtha and reformate feedstock from MRPL’s adjoining refinery that is currently undergoing expansion.

($1 = €0.68/Rs39.36)

By: Naresh Minocha
+65 6780 4359

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