16-02-2021

Axens selected for Numaligarh refinery expansion project

Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL), a subsidiary of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (a public sector undertaking under the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, India) has selected Axens to supply advanced technologies in gasoline block for its Numaligarh Refinery Expansion Project (NREP).

Numaligarh refinery is located at Golaghat District in Assam (India) and was commissioned in 2000 with a capacity of 3 million tons-per-annum (MTPA) to process local crude oil Assam.

NRL is now planning to expand the refinery capacity from 3 MTPA to 9 MTPA by implementing in parallel a new refinery of 6 MTPA crude capacity with downstream grassroots facilities at the same location of the existing refinery in Golaghat, Assam.

Axens has provided key technologies to the Indian Refineries for the production of clean fuels, especially to remove sulfur from gasoline pool to meet Bharat Stage VI (BS VI) specifications.

For the last two decades, Axens has developed a strong and trustful relationship with NRL, involving supply of technologies, catalysts, technical services and supporting NRL through different phases of projects.

As part of the Numaligarh Refinery Expansion Project (NREP), Axens has been selected by NRL to license the following technologies:
- Naphtha Hydrotreating unit
- Continuous Catalytic Reforming unit (Octanizing™)
- C5-C6 Isomerization unit.
- FCC Gasoline Selective Desulfurization (Prime-G+™) unit.

The scope of Axens’ work includes the supply of basic engineering design package, catalysts & adsorbents, proprietary equipment, trainings and technical services.

Axens’ Process Licensing Global Business Unit Executive Vice-President Patrick Sarrazin said: “The expansion of the Numaligarh Refinery will help NRL to meet growing domestic demand for clean fuels reaching BS VI specifications. We are delighted to support NRL by supplying our extensive refining technology expertise, global capabilities in basic engineering design, catalysts, equipment and services.”