Bhubaneswar, April 16: Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL), a joint venture between Bharat Petroleum, Oil India and the government of Assam, today signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Paradip Port Trust and the Indian Oil Corporation (IOCL) for import of crude oil in Paradip for its proposed refinery expansion at Numaligarh from existing three-million-metric-tonnes per annum (MMTPA) to nine MMTPA.

The tri-partite MoU was signed between Paradip Port Trust chairman Rinkesh Roy, NRL's technical director B.J. Phukan and IOCL's executive director (pipelines) A. K. Tiwari.

At the signing ceremony, Union minister for road transport, highways and shipping Nitin Gadkari, minister of state for petroleum and natural gas Dharmendra Pradhan, Assam's finance, health, education and planning minister H.B. Sharma; and Assam's commerce and industries minister C.M. Patowary were present.

Under NRL's proposed refinery expansion project, a 1400-KM crude oil pipeline of one MMTPA capacity will be laid for transporting of imported crude oil from Paradip Port in Odisha to Numaligarh in Assam.

Addressing the gathering, Pradhan said: "Paradip port has the potential to become the gateway to economic development and growth of Odisha as well as eastern and northern parts of the country. The signing of the MOU is the first step towards this."

The Union minister said that Numaligarh refinery would be the source of supply of petroleum products to Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and Myanmar in near future.

The MoU provides for utilising IOCL's spare capacity of existing single-point moorings in Paradip. Paradip Port Trust will extend land space for installation of crude storage tanks, pump house and township in Paradip.

This will lead to an estimated investment of Rs 1,000 crore in Odisha and generate both direct and indirect employment.