IndianOil moves fast on Ennore R-LNG pipeline

IndianOil is racing to lay and commission a gas pipeline to evacuate R-LNG from its under-construction 5m t/y LNG terminal at Ennore in Tamil Nadu it expects to commission next year (2018).

IOC wants to award contracts to buy pipe and lay the pipeline end-October. "These tenders are almost finalised," says an IOC source overseeing the project.

Manufacturers competing for the pipeline supply tender include Welspun, Jindal Pipe, Man Industries, and Ratnamani Metals. Laying contractors in the race include KazStroyService, Punj Lloyd, Jaihind Projects and IL&FS Engineering.

Our source adds IOC hopes the pipeline can be completed by the PNGRB's December 2018 deadline to coincide with the commissioning of the LNG terminal. "All I can say is we are on schedule," he adds.

"But delays can happen because of reasons out of our control. If not the complete length, we will have laid more than half of the pipeline by the PNGRB deadline." IOC won PNGRB authorisation to lay the 1175-km pipeline from Ennore in Tamil Nadu to Bangalore in Karnataka on December 10, 2015 and asked for the project to be completed within 36 months of that date.

IOC plans to lay a 325-km pipeline from Ennore to Nagapattinam, a 242-km spur line from Nagapattinam to Madurai, a 318-km spur line from Nagapattinam to Tuticorin and a 290-km spur line from Thiruvallar in Tamil Nadu to Bengaluru in Karnataka.