ONGC KG Basin crude oil: The Mangaluru Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd (MRPL) announced on Saturday, March 9, the arrival of the first cargo of crude oil from the newly explored Krishna Godavari basin block KG-DWN-98/2, operated by Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC). The shipment was received at the MRPL refinery, marking a significant milestone in India's energy sector.

The crude oil, extracted from the deep-sea block, was transported to Mangaluru aboard the vessel named Swarna Sindhu, which was ceremonially flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 2. Described as "sweet" due to its low sulfur content, this indigenous crude is expected to be processed into various fuels and petrochemicals at the MRPL refinery, thereby supporting India's self-reliance mission.

Located offshore Andhra Pradesh, the KG-DWN-98/2 block commenced oil production in January, utilising a floating production and storage offloading (FPSO) system. Currently producing between 12,000 to 12,500 barrels of oil per day, the field's production capacity is projected to peak at 45,000 barrels per day of crude oil and 10 million standard cubic meters per day of natural gas.

MRPL, a subsidiary of ONGC, is well-equipped to handle the influx of this new crude oil. M Shyamprasad Kamath, Managing Director of MRPL, emphasised the company's readiness to process diverse crude oils, thanks to its coastal location and advanced infrastructure. He highlighted that the addition of this crude oil source would contribute to a 7 per cent increase in India's crude oil and natural gas production potential at its peak.

The refinery's capabilities extend to processing various crude types, with a portfolio of 250 crude oils sourced globally. Over 100 of these varieties have already been successfully processed at the Mangaluru complex.

(With PTI inputs.)