IOC starts mounded bullets facility

An advanced storage facility of six mounded bullets with a capacity of 1,500 cubic metre each has been inaugurated at Indian Oil's Gujarat Refinery near Vadodara in central Gujarat.

The mounded bullets have been set up at a cost of Rs 43 crore to protect the vessel from fire and radiation from a fire in close proximity.

The facility was inaugurated by Gujarat Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dinsha Patel who spoke of it as an example of according the highest priority to safety management by focussing on both technology and management.

He also spoke of the role played by Gujarat Refinery in the development of over 200 small and big industries in the region and its adoption of modern technology for LPG storage.

Indian Oil Director (Refineries) B N Bankapur said on the occasion that mounded bullets are a safer form of storing LPG over conventional Horton spheres as they enhance safety and provide intrinsically passive and safe environment. It also eliminates the possibility of BLEVE (Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapor Explosion).

To meet the Auto Fuel Policy of the Centre, the Indian Oil Board has approved Residue Up-gradation and MS/HSD Quality Improvement Project at Gujarat Refinery which will help meet Euro-IIIV quality of MS and HSD by April 2010.