‘Mangalore, Padur strategic oil storages to be completed by March 2014'

September 27, 2013

New Delhi, Sep 27: India will build its first strategic oil storage by January in an effort to insulate itself from supply disruptions, Oil Minister M Veerappa Moily said today.

India, which is 79% dependent on imports to meet its crude oil needs, is building underground storages at Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh and Mangalore and Padur in Karnataka to store about 5.33 million tonnes of crude oil. This is enough to meet nation's oil requirement for 13-14 days.

"The storage at Visakhapatnam is expected to be commissioned in January 2014," Moily said here.

Visakhapatnam facility would have the capacity to store 1.33 million tonnes of crude oil in underground rock caverns. Huge underground cavities, almost ten storey tall and approximately 3.3 km long are being built.

A similar facility in Mangalore will have a capacity of 1.55 million tonnes and would be mechanically completed by March 2014. A 2.5-million tonnes storage at Padur in Udupi district, would be completed by end of current fiscal, he said.

With the commissioning of Visakhapatnam storage, India will join nations like the US, Japan and China that have strategic reserves. These nations use the stockpiles not only as insurance against supply disruptions but also to buy and store oil when prices are low and release them to refiners when there is a spike in global rates.

Originally, India Strategic Petroleum Reserves Ltd (ISPRL), the state-owned firm building the strategic stockpile, was to build the Visakhapatnam facility by October 2011 while the Mangalore storages were to be mechanically completed by November 2012. The storage at Padur was scheduled for completion in December, 2012.

"Visakhapatnam storage is 94.6% complete, Mangalore is 89.2% and Padur is 86% complete," Moily said.

The Cabinet had in January 2006 approved building of the strategic crude oil storages at a cost of Rs 2,397 crore but due to cost and time overrun the capital required is now estimated at Rs 3,958 crore.

The Visakhapatnam facility will cost Rs 1,038 crore, Mangalore Rs 1,227 crore and Padur Rs 1,693 crore.

ISPRL has till date received Rs 2,529 crore from Oil Industry Development Board (OIDB) and Rs 100 crore from Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd (HPCL), officials said adding that the firm requires Rs 1,195 crore either from OIDB or the Government to complete the projects.

ISPRL would need Rs 490 crore in current fiscal and Rs 705 crore in the next, they said.

Comments

Add new comment

Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.

Cyber fraud alert: Udupi woman loses Rs 24 lakh in ‘digital arrest’ scam

News Network

January 9,2025

Udupi: In a shocking case of cyber fraud, a 38-year-old woman from Karkala in Udupi district, has reportedly lost Rs 24 lakh to a digital arrest scam. The victim, Preema Sheril D'Souza, fell prey to a fraudulent scheme orchestrated through fake calls and threats.

According to the complaint filed, the incident unfolded on Tuesday when Preema received a call at 12:30 pm from an individual claiming to represent the Delhi Telecom Department. The caller alleged that another SIM card had been purchased using her Aadhaar number and was being used for illegal activities in Uttar Pradesh, leading to multiple cases being registered against her.

To add credibility to the scam, the caller arranged a video call where a person dressed as a police officer introduced himself as a CBI official. This individual instructed her to cooperate with the "investigation" and warned her not to disclose the matter to anyone. The scammer also issued threats, claiming that harm would come to her husband and child if she failed to comply.

Under duress, Preema was coerced into sharing her bank account details and transferring a staggering Rs 24 lakh to accounts specified by the fraudsters. She transferred Rs 14 lakh to an account in Federal Bank and Rs 10 lakh to an account in Yes Bank via RTGS from her Fixed Deposit account. The threats of an arrest warrant further pressured her into complying with the scammers' demands.

Upon realizing the fraud, she reported the incident to the authorities. A case has since been registered at the Karkala Rural Police Station, and investigations are underway.

This incident serves as a critical reminder to stay vigilant against such scams. Individuals are advised to verify the identity of callers and refrain from sharing sensitive information or transferring money without proper authentication. If you encounter similar fraudulent activities, report them immediately to the police or cybercrime cell.

Comments