ONGC hopes to restart Hazira plant by Monday

Oil and Natural Gas Corporation hopes to resume gas processing at its Hazira plant, whose closure due to floods had reduced the country's gas supplies by half, by August 14 or 15 as water has started receding from the facility.

"We are doing an assessment of the damage to plant and machinery due to flooding of the entire gas processing complex. Once water is drained out and repairs attended, we hope to start operations in phases," an ONGC official said.

By weekend, the plant would be drained of all water and damages caused would be attended to. "By Monday/Tuesday, we expect to see gas flowing into the plant," he said.

ONGC had to shut its Bassein, B-55 and Panna/Mukta and Tapti gas fields on August 8 as the Hazira complex was marooned and could not take any gas.

About 40.5 million standard cubic meters per day of natural gas went out of the system as a result of the closure,

affecting operations of industries.

Meanwhile, Reliance Industries continued to keep its Hazira plant partially shut for the fourth day in a row while its subsidiary Indian Petrochemical Corporation Ltd also shut operations.

ONGC's Hazira produced 1,650 tonnes of LPG, 3,350 tonnes of aromatic naphtha, 417 tonnes of kerosene and 48 tonnes of diesel and supplied 40.5 mmscmd gas to Hazira-Vijaipur-Jagdishapur pipeline for shipment to industries in the north.

Officials said natural gas supplies up north has been rationed with power, transport sector and fertiliser sectors getting priority. Gas supplies in Delhi to commercial establishments like hotels was cut to sustain CNG supply to automobiles for another week.

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