Essar Oil Ltd announced the commencement of production of viscosity grade bitumen from its Vadinar Refinery.

Viscosity grade bitumen conforms to the BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards) standard IS 73:2006, which has been widely adopted by the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, National Highway Authority of India, Directorate General of Supplies & Disposal and all Government Public Work Departments. MoRTH, in consultation with BIS, has revised bitumen specifications from penetration grade to viscosity grade in a bid to enhance the durability of Indian roads. The move was aimed at overcoming the limitations of penetration grade bitumen that was in vogue earlier.

Essar Oil has successfully produced superior performance VG grade bitumen by processing a judicious mix of crudes and blending components. The Vadinar Refinery is equipped with a state-of-the-art laboratory, which is dedicated to developing superior grade petro products that find acceptance in both domestic and international markets.

Mr Lalit Gupta MD & CEO of Essar Oil said that “Apart from transport fuels, we manufacture a range of products at our Vadinar refinery that cater to various industry segments. With the commencement of VG grade of bitumen, Essar Oil will be in a position to cater to the infrastructure sector and offer a superior performance product at competitive rates. We are also very close to starting pet coke production at the refinery that will commence soon after we complete the Phase I expansion in March 2012.”