India’s Ongc Gets Pipeline, Refinery Revamp Contract in Sudan

NEW DELHI, Aug 4, 2003 (Asia Pulse) — India’s State-run Oil and Natural Gas Corp (BSE:ONGC) has been awarded a contract to lay a 700-km pipeline and a refinery revamp and upgradation project in Sudan.

“The government of Sudan has invited us to lay a petroleum product pipeline from Khantum refinery to Port of Sudan. The project is estimated to cost 200-US$300 million,” Atul Chandra, managing director of ONGC Videsh Ltd, the overseas arm of ONGC, said here.

The company has also been awarded a contract to revamp and upgrade a petroleum oil refinery at Port of Sudan at an estimated cost of US$400-$500 million.

Also included in the project is expanding the capacity of the refinery from 34,000 barrels per day to 71,000 barrels per day, he said.

“We will be paid for executing the contract by oil,” he said.

OVL is already entitled for one-fourth share of the 13 million tonnes crude oil produced by Greater Nile Oil Project in Sudan where it has 25 per cent participating stake.

Chandra said the contracts would mean more oil for the country, which is 70 per cent import dependant to meet its requirement.

Asked if ONGC will take anyother downstream oil refining company for executing the conract, ONGC chairman and managing director Subir Raha said the company was capable of executing such projects on its own.