Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL) is starting a naphtha splitter project in order to supply petroleum-grade naphtha to the Assam Gas Cracker project of the Brahmaputra Cracker and Polymer Limited (BCPL) being constructed at Lepetkata on the outskirts of Dibrugarh.

Engineers India Limited will be providing the technology for the project while SNC Lavalin Engineering Private Limited has been appointed as the project management consultant for implementation of the project. Site mobilisation has also started, while design and engineering packages are being finalised.

The Rs 60crore project will be completed by 2012.

Arun Baruah, an official of the refinery, said NRL had agreed to supply 160 metric tonnes per annum of petrochemical grade naphtha to the gas cracker project as feedstock.

He said the unit was being launched to utilise the surplus naphtha available after natural gas processing and to supply it as feed to the gas cracker project.

Explaining the project, Baruah said the naphtha quality requirement for the gas cracker project feedstock is a minimum 70 to80 per cent by volume of paraffin content.

“With the existing facilities, NRL is producing naphtha with paraffin content of around 37 per cent volume maximum. To meet the gas cracker project’s feed requirements, NRL needs to enhance the paraffin content in naphtha from 37 per cent to 70-80 per cent volume minimum. The naphtha splitter project has been envisaged to fulfil this requirement,” he said.

The environmental management plan of the splitter project says it will be constructed within the existing refinery premises, with no additional land requirement. During the operation stage, there will be no significant impact on the environment, as there will be no direct emission or wastewater discharge.

The company will also take necessary steps to ensure strict implementation of occupational safety measures for the workers. Suitable safety clauses will also be included in individual construction contracts and their implementation will be monitored during the job execution.

It further says the impact of the construction phase on the environment would be basically of a transient nature and is expected to wear out gradually on completion of the construction phase. During the operation stage, no significant impact on the environment is envisaged.

The price of naphtha, based on international prices, ranges between Rs 12,000 and Rs 16,000 per metric tonne.