BPCL-Kochi Refinery ensures optimised fuel supply.

BPCL-Kochi Refinery has put in place an unprecedented operational plan that ensures continuous production of petroleum fuels matching the highly volatile market conditions following the Covid-19 pandemic.

This optimised production of petroleum fuels including LPG, for Kerala and parts of neighbouring States, was ensured by the efforts put in by the company through the new work protocols in which around 280 employees work in each of the 12-hour operational shifts, instead of the normal eight-hour shifts, the company said in a statement.

The lockdown has affected the demand for petrol, diesel, fuel oil, bitumen, and other petroleum products. The demand for aviation turbine fuel (ATF) has also come down sharply because of the suspension of flights. But the demand for cooking gas, or liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), has risen. Ensuring continuous production in such a condition poses high logistical challenges since capacity of storage of each product inside the refinery and installations becomes critical. Crude oil being a complex mixture of different products which are fractionated out during the refining process, sets limits for the selective production of products.

Crude oil processing has been reduced now to around 60 per cent in view of the lower product demand. To meet the rising demand for LPG, BPCL had taken steps to improve LPG production in its refineries by appropriately modifying operations.

Some of the surplus products which are not getting consumed within the country like diesel and naphtha are being exported.

“BPCL Kochi Refinery is braving all the logistical challenges that have risen with the Covid-19 outbreak and employing innovative means to ensure continuous supply of fuels. We are giving utmost importance to ensure production and distribution of LPG which is critical at this point in time,” Murali Madhavan, Executive Director, Kochi Refinery, said.

HBL