In the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak in the country, the demand for petroleum products like petrol, diesel, fuel oil, bitumen, etc., have reduced substantially. The demand for ATF (Aviation Turbine Fuel) has also come down sharply due to suspension of flights.
Keeping this in view, IndianOil has regulated crude oil throughput at most of its refineries by 25% to 30%. Upliftment of finished products from them in the last one week has helped upcountry bulk storage locations of the Corporation build up their stocks for future-readiness once the countrywide lockdown is lifted and the demand picks up again. The Corporation is keeping a close watch on global cues and the changing market scenario and initiating actions accordingly.
Rise in LPG demand
In the midst of reduction in demand for major petro products, there has been an increase in demand for LPG cooking gas. To meet the rising demand for LPG, IndianOil is taking steps to increase LPG production in its major refineries by optimising operations, improving LPG yield in LPG producing units like FCC/Indmax, etc. Bottling plant operations and LPG refill deliveries are being streamlined accordingly. The Emergency Service Cell number 1906 for LPG customers is operational as usual. Adequate stocks are available and there is no need for panic-booking by LPG customers.
Maintaining the supply line
In these trying times, IndianOil is committed to ensuring emergency fuelling across all permitted modes. The Corporation's bulk storage installations, LPG bottling plants, fuel stations and LPG distributorships have been advised to operate under the advisory of their respective State Governments/local administrations to maintain essential services in their geographies. The fuel stations are operating with skeletal staff to ensure personal hygiene and social distancing norms.
The Corporation has taken several precautionary measures with special emphasis on the health and safety of its employees, service-providers, contract work-force, petrol pump dealers & customer attendants, LPG distributors & delivery boys, etc.
A high-level committee has been formed to deal with all matters related to Covid-19, which has streamlined the working at the Corporation's non-critical locations with work-from-home norms to ensure proper social distancing norms. However, adequate work-force is being deployed at critical refining, supply & distribution locations, with all health, hygiene and safety measures in place. Manning has also been rationalised in round-the-clock shift operations, Fire & Safety, Medical and other essential services. Deployment of contract labour is being done only in essential and critical services at a bare minimum, with adequate Covid-19 prevention & precaution measures such as hand-sanitisers and masks in place. Adequate care is also being taken with respect to the tank-truck drivers transporting petroleum products to petrol pumps. Video-conferencing is being used extensively for meetings with internal as well as external stakeholders.
The Corporation is sharing health advisories on prevention of Covid-19 among all its employees across the Corporation on a regular basis through internal communication platforms. Channel partners have also been roped in to spread awareness on the various precautionary measures and social distancing norms among customers visiting the touch-points.
In the wake of the countrywide lockdown, the Corporation is addressing several issues related to movement and turnaround time of POL tank-trucks; restricted mobility and attendance of work-force at LPG distributorships and fuel stations; and restricted business hours of fuel stations at a few places.
Despite the many constraints, IndianOil remains committed to ensuring fuel availability for its esteemed customers and emergency services while taking all the necessary precautionary measures.
Kalikrishna M
Executive Director
(Corporate Communications)
Indian Oil Corporation Limited