Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas and Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Shri Dharmendra Pradhan said that the Centre is promoting gas based economy which requires a massive network of pipelines for transportation of natural gas to various corners of the country. In the first phase Rs 70,000 Cr will be invested to spread gas pipeline network across the country, he said while addressing the 19^th National Conference on Corrosion Control organized in Bhubaneswar today.

The Union Minister said Odisha needs a huge infrastructure to store, refine and transport the natural gas to industry doorstep from Paradip, Dhamra and Gopalpur. Centre is contemplating to promote port based industries in Odisha and also in other coastal states having natural ports. Eastern part of India including Odisha needs a high double digit growth rate to be at par with Western parts of the country. In Odisha approximately Rs 4500 Cr would be pumped in to construct 1700 KMs of pipeline network in first phase. A strategic oil reserve project will also be launched in Chandikhol after acquiring land there.

Shri Pradhan said that India is planning to expand gas pipeline network to Myanmar through Bangladesh. Under this program pipelines are proposed to be constructed between Dhamra to Bangladesh and Siliguri to Bangladesh to export LNG gas according to the requirement of the neighbouring nation. He announced that the commercial production of polypropylene from Paradip refinery would commence from December.

South Eastern Region Pipelines (SERPL) is presently operating cross-country pipelines network of crude oil and refined products as well as LPG of 1570 KMs length with 19.35 MMTPA capacity. Under this region, India Oil is having the biggest and largest crude oil handling facility at Paradip with 03 numbers of Single Point Mooring systems having 37 MMTPA capacity installed in deep sea at a distance of 21 KM off the coast. This is feeding to country’s four most important refineries- Paradip, Haladia, Barauni and Bangaigaon. As future expansion plans under SERPL, laying works of Paradip-Hyderabad pipeline of 1212 KM with capacity of 4.5 MMTPA is in progress. Moreover preconstruction works for 360 KM long Paradip-Dhamra-Haladia LNG pipeline and 345 KM long Paradip-Somanathpur-Haladia pipeline are also under progress, said the Petroleum Minister.

The Union Minister has called upon the participating delegates, Scientists and Engineers to chalk out a roadmap for creation of better and advanced infrastructure for energy storage, refining and transportation with the utilization of corrosion free metals in future. 

The conference aims to analyze various industrial corrosion problems and provide a platform for interaction among industrialists, scientists, engineers and professionals to enhance the state of the art knowledge on “Corrosion Science and Engineering”.

The three day conference is being organized in Bhubaneswar from 5 to 7 December 2018 jointly by National Corrosion Council of India, Karaikudi, SERPL, Central Electrochemical Research Institute and Indian Oil Corporation.

 

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