Indian Oil Corporation to invest Rs 37,000 cr in Tamil Nadu

Energy major Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) will be investing about Rs 7,112 crore in infrastructure facilities in Tamil Nadu over the next three years, said a senior official.

At the IOC group level -- IOC and group company Chennai Petroleum Corporation Ltd -- will be investing about Rs 37,112 crore in Tamil Nadu.

"The investments will be in pipeline expansion, construction of a captive jetty, additional facilities for petrol and diesel handling, POL (petroleum, oils and lubricants) terminals at an outlay of Rs,7,112 crore in the next three years," R Sitharthan, Executive Director - Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, told IANS.

He said the group company Chennai Petroleum will be expanding its refinery capacity at Narimanam to nine million ton per annum at an outlay of about Rs 30,000 crore.

These apart, the company will be investing in the city gas distribution network in Coimbatore and Salem where it has won the distribution bids recently, Sitharthan said.

Sitharthan said pipelines are being laid down at various places to carry the gas from the Ennore LNG terminal to industries and also to carry other petroleum products.

On the other hand, IOC's joint venture for the five million ton per annum (tpa) liquified natural gas (LNG) terminal at Ennore has an investment of Rs 5,151 crore and is expected to be ready by December this year.