New Delhi, Mar 08: State-owned Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) today said operations of country's oldest oil refinery at Digboi have not been affected by militant attacks on a nearby petrol storage bunk. "Digboi refinery is operating," company officials said here.
A team of eight senior IOC officials headed by director (refineries) A K Arora, have rushed to Digboi after suspected Ulfa militants blew up a large petrol storage tank and bombed a gas pipeline in Assam. "The initial reaction (after the blasts) was to suspend the operations but the refinery is up and running. The petrol storage tank is at a safe distance from the refinery and the fire has had no impact on the refinery operations," they said, adding there have been no casualty of any of the company employees.
The storage tank had a capacity of five million litres. As it happens in case of fire at petroleum storage tanks, the fire at the petrol bunk was being allowed to burn out.
Another blast ripped through part of a natural-gas pipeline near a gas-collection centre at Duliajan, near the refinery.
Digboi, with annual production capacity of 650,000 tonnes (13,400 barrels per day) is India's oldest refinery at more than 100 years old. Bureau Report