Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd. (BPCL) has drawn up Rs 32,500 crore expansion plans to increase its refining capacity from the current 30.5 million tonne per annum to 47.5 million tpa by 2016-17.

It will invest Rs 20,000 crore at its Kochi refinery to expand its capacity from 9.5 million tpa to 15.5 million tpa. This expansion makes BPCL’s Kochi refinery the largest public sector refinery in India.

At BPCL’s Mumbai refinery capacity would go up from 12 million tpa to 14 million tpa.

It also invests Rs 10,000 crore on its Numaligarh refinery in Assam, to expand its capacity from three million tpa to nine million tpa.

Bina refinery at Madhya Pradesh, which is a joint venture between BPCL and Oman Oil Company Ltd. (OOCL), expand its capacity from six million tpa to nine million tpa.

BPCL’s foray into the upstream sector through its Exploration & Production arm, Bharat PetroResources Ltd. (BPRL) has shown great promise, reporting a total of 17 discoveries: eight in Mozambique, six in Brazil and one each in India, Indonesia and Australia till now.