Indian Oil Corporation's Paradip refinery to be shut for 22 days for maintenance work

BHUBANESHWAR: The oil refinery of Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL) at Paradip in Odisha's Jagatsinghpur district will remain shut for 22 days from July 25 for maintenance work, a senior official said on Saturday. Nearly 800 workers from nearby areas will be engaged for carrying out the maintenance activity at the refinery plant, while adhering to COVID-19 safety protocols, Jagatsinghpur District Collector Sangram Keshari Mohapatra said.

Prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CrPC will be imposed around the IOCL refinery premises to prevent any congregation in the area, he said.

The decision to undertake the annual maintenance work in the plant has been taken by IOCL authorities and the district administration, Mohapatra said.


"Periodic maintenance work of the refinery is essential for ensuring operational safety and efficiency," Paradip IOCL refinery PRO, S S Patra, said.

The last such maintenance activity was undertaken in March 2018, he added.

Commissioned in 2016 and considered as the energy gateway to eastern India, the refinery has a capacity of 15 million tonnes per annum.