Joint venture partners Cairn India and Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) have commenced deliveries of crude oil to Essar Oil’s Vadinar refinery via the 590 km Salaya – Mangala heated pipeline, which is part of the 670 km Bhogat – Mangala pipeline.
Reliance Industries’ Jamnagar refinery is expected to receive piped oil in the next three or four days, and IndianOil's Koyali refinery by the end of the June 2010.
According to Cairn India, pipeline oil sales are expected to reach 125,000 bbl/d in the second half of 2010 and sales arrangements with four buyers are now being put in place for 143,000 bbl/d of oil.
Construction of the 80 km Salaya to Bhogat section of the pipeline is planned to commence soon, with completion targeted for 2011.