News Release Details

IndianOil's Mathura-Jalandhar pipeline repaired and put back in service same night after pilferage
New Delhi   26-Feb-2017

Indian Oil Corporation (IndianOil) has repaired and restored the Mathura-Delhi section of its Mathura-Jalandhar pipeline, where an instance of illegal tapping was detected on 17th February 2017 early morning, and put it back into service the same night to ensure uninterrupted transport of petroleum products.

Early on 17th February, the Corporation's security guards patrolling the RK Puram area of Mathura district found illegal tapping of the pipeline being carried out through a 15-foot deep tunnel. An FIR has been logged with the police immediately and the case is under investigation.

IndianOil owns and operates a 12,500-km network of crude oil, product and gas pipelines, of which the Mathura-Jalandhar pipeline, spanning about 535 km, transports finished products from its Mathura Refinery to various consumption centres of Delhi, UP, Haryana, Uttarakhand and Punjab. With a throughput capacity of 3.7 million tonnes per annum, the pipeline traverses via Delhi-Panipat-Ambala and terminates at Jalandhar.

Illegal tapping of petroleum pipelines is a global menace and pipeline operators have been adopting various measures to curb the same. IndianOil too has taken up several measures such as day-and-night patrolling by security guards; round-the-clock online monitoring of pipeline pressure & flow conditions; installation of leak detection systems; surprise patrolling by senior officers; etc., and is also seeking the help of the local administration and police in curbing instances of pipeline tapping and pilferage. Despite multiple measures being in place, there have been sporadic instances of miscreants resorting to pilferage and illegal tapping of pipelines.

Contrary to media reports that the illegal tapping was going on for many months, it is hereby clarified that no pressure variation was observed in the pipeline system in the past, except on three occasions this month. It is also not correct that oil worth crores of rupees has been stolen from the pipeline, as mentioned in some sections of the media. As per preliminary oil accounting done by the Company internally, only a negligible quantity might have been pilfered.

It is also hereby clarified that senior IndianOil officials are cooperating fully with the police in the case and IndianOil welcomes investigation in case of any evidence against any of its employees.