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{{short description|Crude oil refinery of Indian city of Kochi}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2020}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Kochi Refinery
| logo = Kochi_Refineries.png
| type = [[State-owned Enterprise|Government owned]]
| genre =
| fate =
| predecessor =
| successor =
| foundation = {{Start date|df=yes|1963|04|27}}
| founder =
| defunct =
| location_city = [[Kochi]]
| location_country = [[India]]
| location =
| locations =
| area_served =
| key_people =
| industry = [[Oil refinery]]
| products = [[Petroleum]], [[Petrochemical]]s
| services =
| revenue = {{increase}} {{INRConvert|60000|c}} (2018)<ref>{{cite news |url=https://energy.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/oil-and-gas/petrochemical-complexes-to-boost-turnover-of-bpcl-kochi-refinery/68171832 |title=Petrochemical complexes to boost turnover of BPCL Kochi Refinery |newspaper=[[The Economic Times]] |date=26 February 2019 |access-date=26 February 2019}}</ref>
| operating_income =
| net_income =
| aum =
| assets =
| equity =
| owner =
| num_employees =
| parent = [[Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited]]
| divisions =
| subsid =
| homepage = {{URL|https://www.bharatpetroleum.com/our-businesses/refineries/kochi-refinery/overview.aspx|bharatpetroleum.com/kochi-refinery}}
| footnotes =
| intl =
}}

'''Kochi Refinery Limited''' ('''KRL''') is a crude oil [[Oil refinery|refinery]] in the city of [[Kochi]] in [[Kerala]], [[India]]. It is the largest [[State ownership|public sector]] refinery in India with a production capacity of 15.5 million [[tonne]]s per year.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/national/integrated-expansion-project-boosts-bpclkochi-refinery/article9677392.ece |title=Integrated expansion project boosts BPCL-Kochi Refinery |newspaper=The Hindu|date=2 May 2017 |access-date=2 December 2017}}</ref> Formerly known as Cochin Refineries Limited and later renamed as Kochi Refineries Limited, it was acquired by [[Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited]] in the year 2006.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20090504075732/http://www.bharatpetroleum.com/EnergisingBusiness/KochiRefinery_Overview.aspx?id=1 Kochi Refinery, Overview]</ref> The refinery is situated at [[Ambalamugal]], around 12&nbsp;km (7.5&nbsp;mi) east of the city centre.

== History ==
[[File:SBM03.jpg|thumb|A ship arrived at Kochi Refinery]]
Kochi Refinery started when [[Government of India]], [[Phillips Petroleum Company]] of USA and Duncan Brothers & Company Limited of [[Calcutta]] signed an agreement for the construction of a [[petroleum refinery]] in [[south India]], in [[Kochi, India|Kochi]], [[Kerala]].

The company was formally registered, as ''Cochin Refineries Ltd'' (CRL), on 6 September 1963 at [[Kochi]]. Phillips Petroleum International Corporation was the prime contractors for the construction of the refinery. Construction work started in March 1964 and the first unit came on stream just after 29 months in September 1966. The [[Indian Prime Minister|Prime Minister of India]] Ms.[[Indira Gandhi]] inaugurated it on 23 September 1966.

In 2006, Kochi Refinery was acquired by the [[Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited]].

== Awards ==
* Certificate of Excellence for outstanding achievement in pollution control by Kerala State Pollution Control Board.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20150214203649/http://www.keralapcb.org/WriteReadData/pdf/award%20press%20release%20eng.pdf Press Release]</ref>
* 'Green Manufacturing Excellence Award 2014' by M/s Frost & Sullivan for the year 2014.<ref name=":0">[https://web.archive.org/web/20100102132455/http://bharatpetroleum.com/EnergisingBusiness/KochiRefinery_Accolades.aspx?id=1 Kochi Refinery, Accolades]</ref>
* Safety Award 2013 for the meritorious performance in the field of Safety, in Category-A among very large industries, from Factories & Boilers Department- Govt. of Kerala.<ref name=":0" />

== Capacity ==
The refinery had an original design capacity of 2.5 million [[tonne]]s per year which was increased to 3.3 million tonnes per year in 1973. Production of [[liquefied petroleum gas]] (LPG) and [[aviation turbine fuel]] (ATF) commenced after this expansion.

Refining capacity was further enhanced to 4.5 million tonnes per year in November 1984 when a fluidized catalytic cracking unit (FCCU) of 1 million tonnes per year capacity was added.

In Dec 1994, refining capacity was increased to 7.5 million tonnes per year along with revamp of FCCU to 1.4 million tonnes per year. A fuel gas de-sulphurisation unit was installed as part of this project to minimise [[sulphur dioxide]] emission. CRL entered into petrochemical sector in 1989 when aromatic production facilities with a design capacity of 87,200 tonnes per year of benzene and 12,000 tons per annum of toluene was commissioned. In the year 2000, a 2 million tonnes per year Diesel Hydro De-sulphurisation (DHDS) plant was added to reduce the sulphur content in [[Diesel fuel|diesel]].

In August 2010, the refining capacity was further increased to 9.5 million tonnes per year.

A captive power plant of 26.3 MW was commissioned in 1991. An additional captive power plant of 17.8 MW was commissioned in 1998 thus making the refinery self-sufficient in power.

An LPG bottling plant of capacity 44,000 tonnes per year was commissioned in 2003. A [[Bitumen]] Emulsion plant of 10000 tonnes per year capacity has also been commissioned in 2004.

A [[Poerner Engineering|Biturox Bitumen Oxidation]] Unit of 378,000 tonnes per year capacity was successfully commissioned and started-up in 2008.

== Merger with BPCL ==
[[Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited]] (BPCL) acquired the Government of India's shares in KRL in March 2001. Consequent to the merger Order dated 18 August 2006 issued by Ministry of Company Affairs, the refinery has been amalgamated with Bharat Petroleum Corporation, henceforth to be known as BPCL-Kochi Refinery.

== Competency ==
Today Kochi Refinery is a frontline entity as the unit of the [[Fortune 500]] company, BPCL.

With a turnover of around US$2500 million, the refinery aims to strengthen its presence in refining and marketing of petroleum products and further grow into the energy and petrochemical sectors.

Kochi Refinery is engaged in [[Refining]] and marketing of petroleum products. Beginning with a capacity of {{convert|50000|oilbbl/d|m3/d}}(bpd), today the Refinery has a refining capacity of {{convert|310000|oilbbl/d|m3/d|abbr=on}}. The Company entered the petrochemical sector with [[benzene]] and [[toluene]] in 1989.

Kochi Refinery produces all fuel based refinery products viz [[liquefied petroleum gas]], [[naphtha]], [[gasoline|petrol]], [[diesel fuel|diesel]], [[kerosene]], aviation turbine fuel, gas oil, fuel oil, and [[bitumen]]. The foray into direct marketing began since 1993 through marketing its aromatic products: benzene and toluene.

The company entered the International Petroleum business stream when its first parcel of Fuel Oil was exported in January 2001. Since then the company has exported around 100 parcels. In the last financial year the refinery exported products worth over US$280 million.

== Speciality Products ==
Kochi Refinery makes Speciality products for domestic markets Viz. Benzene, Toluene, White Spirit, Poly Iso Butene & Sulphur.

Kochi Refinery offers supplies of any grade Fuel Oil (both 180 cst and 380 cst) and Low Aromatic Naphthene (High Paraffinic) to the international market.

Kochi Refinery also produces speciality grade bitumen products like Natural Rubber Modified Bitumen, Bitumen Emulsion etc.

The Fuel Oil has been bench marked in the Singapore and Dubai Fuel Oil markets.

Currently Kochi Refinery is known as BPCL Kochi Refinery (BPCL KR). KR had undergone a capacity expansion which made it a 15.5 million tonnes per year refinery. This project called Integrated Refinery Expansion Project will also mark KR's foray into petrochemical business. It is a 20,000 crores rupees project.

== SPM ==
[[Image:SBM01.jpg|thumb|right|The SPM facility at offshore [[Kochi]].]]
An offshore [[crude oil]] receipt facility consisting of an offshore [[Single buoy mooring|single point mooring (SPM)]] facility and an associated shore tank farm (situated in [[Vypin]]).<ref>[http://bharatpetroleum.com/EnergisingBusiness/KochiRefinery_Overview.aspx?id=1 BharatPetroleum.com Kochi Refinery Overview.]</ref><ref>[http://bharatpetroleum.com/EnergisingBusiness/KochiRefinery_Projects.aspx?id=1 BharatPetroleum.com Kochi Refinery Projects.]</ref> This was commissioned in December 2007. The refinery is equipped to receive crude oil in [[Very Large Crude Carriers|Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs)]].

== Incidents ==

==See also==
* [[List of oil refineries in India]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Kochi Refineries}}
* [http://bharatpetroleum.com/refineries/refinerykochi_overview.asp?from=ref Homepage of Bharat Petroleum Corporation / Kochi Refinery Overview ]

{{Kochi (India) topics}}

[[Category:Oil refineries in India]]
[[Category:Companies based in Kochi]]
[[Category:Energy in Kerala]]
[[Category:Non-renewable resource companies established in 1963]]
[[Category:1963 establishments in Kerala]]
[[Category:Bharat Petroleum buildings and structures]]

Kochi Refineries - Revision history

CleanupBot at 05:44, 22 March 2026