Crude oil processing by refineries up by 9.4 per cent

New Delhi, Apr 20 (UNI) The country's crude oil processing went upto 9.4 per cent but its output fell by 2.4 per cent as production from Mumbai High continues to be low after the production was hit after an accident last year.

March refinery throughput amounted to 11.92 million tonnes, or about 2.82 million barrels per day, official figures said.

A power failure at state owned Indian Oil Corp.'s 150,000-barrels per day,(BPD) Mathura refinery had forced all units to shut down for a day and due to maintenance at IOC's Digboi refinery.

The Mumbai refinery of Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd. had processed 260,000 bpd during March which is 20,000 bpd more than its capacity as the refinery was upgraded last October, enabling it to process more crude.

Refiners had said that they may ramp up crude processing further if there is a rise in domestic demand.

UNI RT SS KN1917