Massive strategic storage of crude oil in Mangaluru
Synopsis
Crude oil was imported from Iran Oil is being stored at Permude in Dakshina Kannada
Crude oil measuring 0.25 million metric tonne that was carried in the ships from Iran was stored in Permude. A single point system, planted in the middle of the ocean received 0.25 million tonnes of crude oil worth ₹ 650-crore.
Nalin Kumar Kateel, MP of Dakshina Kannada inaugurated the pumping machine at New Mangalore Port Trust (NMPT) premises, Panambur. The machine pumps crude oil to the storage of ISPRL.
Besides the strategic storage of Mangaluru, there are other storages also across the coastal area of India.
| Port | Crude oil storage capacity in crores |
| Vishakhapattanam | 1178.35 |
| Permude, Mangaluru | 1227 |
| Paduru, Udupi | 1693 |
| Total | 4098.35 |
The strategic storages are constructed 100 meters below the surface level. Currently, Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) sized ship has carried crude oil to the storage, which has 15 lakhs tonnes storage capacity. It takes 42 to 48 hours to fill the strategic storage. Ten thousand litres can be pumped in one hour. Crude oil of two more VLCC ships would fill one division of the storage, and the storage has two divisions.
The crude oil of Permade can be processed at Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited (MRPL) and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) of Kochin. The crude oil of Vishakhapattanam can be processed at Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) and can be transported to the northern part of India.
The total storage of all these three plants can meet the country’s demand for 13 days. Currently, 2.6 lakh tonnes of crude oil is stored, in future, i.e., within two months, there are plans to store 5.2 lakh tonnes.