With this the total investment by the company in Gujarat goes up to Rs 25,375 crore, including the Rs 13,600-crore proposed infusion for ONGC Petro-additions Ltd (OPAL) for petrochemicals project at Dahej SEZ.

The investment to be made under ONGC’s XI plan outlay for the state includes Rs 2,500 crore for extraction of C2-C3 and LPG, additional train to augment gas processing capacity of Hazira plant, naphtha-cracking using NTGG process, CO2 sequestration and transporting it to Ankleshwar for injection in wells from EOR, Installation of SBM off Hazira coast, stand by power plant etc.

The announcement was made by ONGC’s acting chairman and managing director R S Sharma who is on a two-day visit to Hazira plant for attending a workshop on Emerging Trends in the Value Added Products-ONGC perspective. Sharma said the company is looking forward to completing the Rs 13,600-crore petrochemical plant project in Dahej by mid 2010. The company is not very keen on the Dahej SEZ project since it has only 23% stake in it.

About Gujarat, Sharma said, ``Gujarat has been our biggest strength in terms of E&P activity and that we have invested around Rs 15,000 crore till now. However, a special attention is given to enhance our production, exploration and development activity here.’’ The company plans to scale up the production capacity of Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) presently the plant has a capacity of producing 18,000 kilo litre ATF per month by next year to meet the requirements of oil marketing companies and commercial airlines.

Sharma said, ``Introduction of another value-added product called Propane C2-C3 gasoline is in the offing at the Hazira plant.’’

He added that the Hazira plant has been allocated funds worth Rs 60 crore for taking flood protection measures such as lifting and shifting of co-gen control room, switchgear room, lifting height of the plant, UPS system and other critical electrical and electronic equipments.

PIN/INDIATIMES.COM