State-run Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) has deferred expansion of its Panipat refinery by four months to April 2010, a company official said.
Connecting of new units that would raise the refinery capacity to 15 million tonnes a year from current 12 million tonnes would involve shutting down of the half of the plant, IOC Director (Refineries) B N Bankapur told PTI here.
The seasonal surge in demand for petroleum products during the last part of fiscal year had forced IOC to change its strategy for commissioning the Rs 1,007 crore Panipat refinery expansion project.
"We had planned (the shutdown) in December 2009 but since there is high demand for fuel during winter months, we decided to postpone the shutdown to March/April," he said.
IOC would need to shut one crude distillation unit, a hydrocracker and a delayed coker unit for 40-45 days.