Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas comes to Guwahati to inaugurate ISOSIU unit at Guwahati Refinery and Oil Museum.

Mithu Chowdhury

Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Ram Naik announced that the Centre had decided to reduce excise duty by 50 per cent on the total output from Digboi refinery, which has had a successful run of 100 years. The Minister announced this while inaugurating the solvent Dewaxing Plant at Digboi Refinery on the occasion of the centenary celebration of the refinery. The special dispensation to the Digboi Refinery of Indian Oil is on the pattern of concession available to the Numaligarh Refinery Ltd.

The Minister also announced that  the security deposit on LPG cylinders for domestic use is being reduced to Rs. 700 per cylinder from Rs. 900 per cylinder.Mr. Naik said that this decision was possible due to the savings on account of introduction of cylinder procurement by tender system. The benefit of reduction in the cost of procurement is being passed on to the LPG consumer. Also present on the occasion were Union Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Santosh Gangwar, Minister of State for Water Resource Bijoya Chakraborty, Pradyut Basolaloi, Assam Minister of State for Home Guwahati Refinery’s unique distinction

Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Ram Naik inaugurated the first ever ISOSIV unit of the country in Guwahati Refinery. Set up with latest technology in oil refinery at a cost of Rs. 60 crore. This unit will use Molecular Sieve Technology (ISOSI) to produce lead free petrol for the first time in India. The Union Minister lauded the pioneering role being played
by Guwahati Refinery — the first public sector refinery of the country. The unique distinction earned through acquiring this new unit would make the refinery fully equipped to serve the nation better.

Addressing the inaugural function, Union Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Santosh Gangwar expressed his happiness at the completion of construction of the prestigious unit in just 30 months and commended the efforts of the engineers and workers of the IOC.Foundation laid for Oil Museum Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Ram Naik laid the foundation stone of the K.D. Malaviya National Oil Museum at Guwahati. Addressing the function organised on the occasion, the Union Minister said that the National Oil Museum would reflect all aspects of the history of oil industry in the country.

Assam was selected for setting up the museum as it is the State where the first commercial oil well was discovered at Digboi in 1889 which is still the oldest continuously oil producing field of India. Although the construction of the museum was scheduled to be completed within three years, Mr. Naik urged the board of trustees to complete the works within two and a half years.

Union Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Santosh Gangwar said that India was progressing steadily in development of the oil sector with continuous upgradation of petroleum technology. He called upon the young talents to take up challenging careers in the oil sector for boosting up energy of the nation.

The Government of Assam allotted 2.6 acres of land at Khanapara in the city in 1990. The estimated cost of the museum will be around Rs. 8 crore which will be brone jointly by oil PSUs — ONGC, OIC, HPC, BPC, GAIL, OIL, CPC, KRL, EIL, BRPL and IBP.
       
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