Gujarat Refinery

IndianOil’s Gujarat Refinery, situated at Jawahar Nagar, approximately 10 km north of Vadodara, stands as a cornerstone of industrial growth in the region. For nearly six decades, it has played a pivotal role in being the anchoring industry of Vadodara, catering to the rising energy demands driven by the fast-paced development and economic prosperity of the vibrant state of Gujarat.

Commencing its operation in 1965, Gujarat Refinery has continuously evolved through strategic capacity expansions and the addition of new processing units. Today, it operates as an integrated refinery-cum-petrochemical complex having a design capacity of 13.7 MMTPA of crude processing, supported by more than 30 combined no. of primary and secondary units, including petrochemical facilities.

Evolution and Expansion:

Gujarat Refinery began its operation with the commissioning of the first crude distillation unit i.e. Atmospheric Unit-I (AU-I) in 1965 followed by the installation of the second crude distillation unit (AU-II) and third crude distillation unit (AU-III) in 1966 and 1967 respectively, primarily processing indigenous crude from Mehsana and Ankleshwar in Gujarat. Refinery’s growth also included addition of Catalytic Reforming Unit (CRU) in 1966 along with gradual incremental crude capacity enhancements through in-house modifications.

In 1978-79, the refinery expanded its capabilities to process imported crude by commissioning of the fourth distillation unit viz. AU-IV along with downstream units such as Vacuum Distillation Unit (VDU), Visbreaker Unit (VBU) & Bitumen Blowing Unit (BBU). A major milestone was achieved in 1982 with the commissioning of India’s first riser Fluidized Catalytic Cracking Unit (FCCU), enhancing the recovery of high-value products from heavier residues.

During 1993-94, Gujarat Refinery commissioned the country’s first Hydrocracker Unit (HCU), enabling efficient conversion of heavier fractions of crude oil to high-value superior products. This was followed by setting-up of the country’s first Diesel Hydrodesulphurization (DHDS) Unit in 1999 to produce cleaner diesel fuel reducing its sulphur content. Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether (MTBE) Unit was commissioned in 1999 to eliminate lead in motor spirit.

With the addition of the fifth crude distillation unit (AU–V) in 1999, the refinery’s capacity was further augmented to 13.7 MMTPA.

Entry into Petrochemicals and Modernization:

In 2004, Gujarat Refinery marked IndianOil’s significant entry into the petrochemicals sector with the setting-up of Asia’s largest single-train Linear Alkyl Benzene (LAB) Unit, with a capacity of 120 KTPA of LAB production. This diversification strengthened its business portfolio beyond traditional oil and gas operations.

To meet evolving environmental standards and fuel quality norms, the refinery undertook major upgrades through the following:

Recent Developments and Strategic Milestones:

In 2022, expanding its wings in petrochemicals sector, Gujarat Refinery’s LAB Unit Plant capacity was revamped from 120 KTPA to 162 KTPA. The refinery also achieved a significant milestone in its journey towards realising the Prime Minister's vision of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’, through successful production and dispatch of Aviation Gasoline (AvGas100LL), the first of its kind in India in September 2022. The successful production of AvGas100LL at Gujarat Refinery has not only ensured the indigenous availability of this product but has also opened up avenues for its profitable export opportunities for the Corporation.

A new product tank terminal at Dumad, approximately 16 km from the refinery, was commissioned in 2022 to facilitate dispatch of HSD, MS and ATF through new multi-product pipeline KAhSPL (Koyali-Ahmednagar-Solapur Pipeline), strengthening supply across the state of Maharashtra.

In 2025, the refinery underwent key revamps, including:

On 20th September 2025, the Oxo Alcohol Project at Dumad was dedicated to the Nation by Shri Narendra Modi, Hon’ble Prime Minister. The complex comprises of SynGas Unit, N-Butyl Alcohol (nBA) Unit, Acrylic Acid (AA) Unit and Butyl Acrylate (BA) Unit with a production capacity of 150 KTPA of Butyl Acrylate, a key ingredient for paints, coatings, adhesives, textiles chemicals, etc.- significantly reducing import dependency, generating foreign exchange savings and expanding India’s petrochemical footprint in the niche sector.

By the end of the year 2025, the refinery further demonstrated operational excellence with the first-time dispatch of specialized fuels viz. Jet Propellant (JP-5) and NATO Grade High Flash High Speed Diesel (HFHSD).

Future Outlook:

Major products: Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), Naphtha, Motor Spirit (MS), Ethanol Blended Motor Spirit (EBMS), XP-100 premium grade MS, High Speed Diesel (HSD), Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF), Light Diesel Oil (LDO), Superior Kerosene (SKO), Bitumen, Raw Petroleum Coke (RPC), Sulphur, Pre-fractionator Re-run Column Bottom (PFRCB), High Viscosity Fuel Oil (HVFO).

Specialty Products: Polymer Grade Hexane (PGH), Linear Alkyl Benzene (LAB), Heavy Alkyl Benzene (HAB), MARPOL Fuel Oil, Aviation Gasoline (AVGAS (100LL), STORM (Premium Race fuel), JP-5, NATO High Flash High Speed Diesel (HFHSD), Butyl Acrylate, Iso Butyl Alcohol.

Additional Products after expansion and commissioning of upcoming project: Polypropylene (PP), Lube Oil Base Stocks of different grades (Group-II & Group-III).

Mode of Product Dispatch: