Guwahati: The Guwahati Refinery of Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) supplied 19 thousand metric tonnes (TMT) of specialised smokeless fuel exclusively to the Indian armed forces during Operation Sindoor, the refinery said.
Guwahati Refinery Executive Director and Refinery Head Sunil Kanti said the unit is among the very few in the country capable of producing Low Sulphur Low Aromatics Superior Kerosene Oil (LSLA SKO) and was the only refinery to provide the fuel during the operation.
Developed by the refinery’s research and development team, the fuel was designed to emit minimal smoke and help soldiers stay warm in extreme cold conditions at high-altitude locations.
During Operation Sindoor, the refinery produced and dispatched the fuel within a record timeframe. The consignments were transported to Misamari, Siliguri and Agra, from where they were further sent to Army bases in Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim and the Ladakh region. Mr. Kanti said the LSLA SKO supplied contained around 1 part per million of sulphur, significantly below the permissible limit, and met stringent quality parameters.
Commissioned in 1962 as India’s first public sector refinery, Guwahati Refinery currently operates with a capacity of 1.2 million metric tonnes per annum and is also setting up a new catalytic reforming unit to strengthen its gasoline production capabilities.
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