Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru

Mangaluru, Jul 12: In a major move aimed at strengthening India’s energy security, the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) has granted in-principle approval for the expansion of the strategic petroleum reserve in Mangaluru. The proposed facility will boast a massive capacity of 17.5 lac metric tonnes (MT).

Along with the expansion, the ONGC board has also approved a proposal seeking government support to expand commercial utilization opportunities with regulatory backing. The newly planned project will add significant depth to India’s overall strategic storage network, which is managed by the Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserves Limited (ISPRL).

Mangaluru stands out as one of India's most critical strategic petroleum storage locations, and it also houses ONGC’s subsidiary, Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited (MRPL), which operates a refinery with a capacity of 3 lac barrels per day. The expansion decision comes amid escalating global geopolitical tensions and persistent supply vulnerabilities through the Strait of Hormuz.

Existing infrastructure at Permude and Padur

Presently, crude oil is stored in massive underground rock caverns managed by ISPRL at Permude in Mangaluru. Additionally, ISPRL operates another mega underground crude oil storage facility at Padur in Udupi district. Both the Mangaluru and Padur cavern systems are interconnected via an underground pipeline network.

At the Mangaluru storage site, one cavern has been allocated to MRPL for its operations, while another has been leased out to the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC).

Furthermore, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) operates a massive underground LPG storage facility at Permude, which was dedicated to the nation last year.

Current underground petroleum storage capacities in the coastal region:

• Permude (Crude Oil): 1.5 million metric tonnes capacity (2 caverns)

• Padur (Crude Oil): 2.5 million metric tonnes capacity (4 caverns)

• Permude (LPG): 80 thousand metric tonnes capacity (2 caverns)

The newly approved 17.5 lac metric tonnes expansion will further cement the coastal region's status as a pivotal hub for India’s energy contingency plans.