Indian Oil plans big expansion, said to invest $3.5 billion in FY18

Expansion of refining and marketing capacities is crucial for IOC, which is facing competition from private refiners, which more than doubled their fuel retail market share in three years.

The country’s biggest oil refiner, Indian Oil Corp., is planning to invest as much as $3.5 billion in the year beginning April 1, or about a fifth more than the previous year, to expand and upgrade its refineries and boost its marketing network, according to people with knowledge of the matter.

Indian Oil is likely to invest about Rs 190 billion ($2.9 billion) on expansion of its refining and petrochemicals capacities, pipeline network and marketing infrastructure in the year ending March 31. (Dhiraj Singh/Bloomberg)

The company plans to use internal resources for the capital expenditure and has no plans to raise loans or issue bonds, the people said, asking not to be identified as they aren’t authorized to speak to the media. Cash generation at all its refineries has improved, and even its newest refinery at Paradip in Odisha is likely to report a profit for the first time this year, they said.

A New Delhi-based spokesman for Indian Oil couldn’t immediately comment on the investment and financial plans.

Expansion of refining and marketing capacities is crucial for the refiner to maintain its leading position in the world’s fastest-growing oil consumer. It controlled about 35% of the nation’s oil refining capacity and 45% of the domestic petroleum-products market in the year ended March 31, 2017. The company is facing competition from private refiners, which more than doubled their fuel retail market share in three years.