Assam To Be Epicentre of Oil Exports To SE Asia: Dharmendra Pradhan

GUWAHATI: Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Friday said the Centre has taken up an ambitious plan to convert Assam into the epicentre of exporting of petrol, diesel and other hydrocarbon products to the South East Asian countries.

Dedicating eight major hydrocarbon projects set up in different parts of Assam to the Nation during a solemn function held at a five-star hotel in the city on Friday afternoon, Pradhan said his ministry has asked the oil producing companies to invest their profits in creating necessary infrastructures in the North Eastern States to enable the region to feed the needs of hydrocarbon products of the South East Asian nations. He said with the existing Guwahati, Digboi and Bongaigaon refineries and expansion of Numaligarh Refinery Assam will be able to supply adequate quantum of petrol and diesel to neighbouring countries like Bangladesh, Myanmar and Bhutan.

Insisting on the extraction of more oil to further strengthen Assam’s economy, Pradhan said the Northeast has a huge deposit of gas and the development of infrastructure is required to be able to exploit it. He said the oil companies have agreed to invest around Rs 1000 crore for creating such infrastructures in the days to come.

The eight projects Dharmendra Pradhan dedicated to the nation were upgradation of pump stations of Naharkatiya-Barauni crude oil pipeline, Greenfield, rail fed POL storage terminal at Digboi, capacity augmentation of LPG bottling plant in Silchar, GGS Borhola to Jorhat CTF crude oil trunk pipeline replacement, capacity augmentation of LPG bottling plant in North Guwahati, effluent treatment plant-cum-water injection plant at Lakhmani, mounded LPG storage at Numaligarh Refinery and Swargadeo Chaolung Siu-Ka-Pha Multi Speciality Hospital in Sivasagar.

Dharmendra Pradhan also announced the commencement of work of the KB Malaviya National Oil Museum at Guwahati. With five galleries, 3-D theatre, outdoor signs etc, it will showcase the rich history and heritage of the petroleum industry in India.

Speaking on the occasion, Assam’s Industries & Commerce Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary claimed that the economy of the State is progressing fast soon after the BJP came to power due to investments in different sectors. He also claimed the Global Investors’ Summit organized by the Assam Government in 2018, has so far been able to invest to the tune of Rs 51,000 crore to the State.

Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who could not attend the Friday’s function, expressed gratitude to the Centre and oil companies for executing several hydrocarbon projects in the State.

CMDs of ONGC and OIL Shashi Shanker and Utpal Bora respectively and other senior officials of different oil companies and refineries were present at the Friday’s function.

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