Mumbai refinery | Source: BPCL Mumbai Refinery page
BPCL's Mumbai Refinery is one of India's oldest continuously operating oil refinery, located at Mahul, Wadala East, Mumbai, Maharashtra, occupying approximately 454 acres in the heart of the city. Commissioned in January 1955 under Burmah-Shell Refineries Ltd. with an initial capacity of 2.2 MMTPA, it was nationalised in 1976 as Bharat Refineries Limited, and subsequently renamed Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited in August 1977. The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas describes it as a compact lube refinery with the lowest SOx emissions and lowest specific energy and water consumption in the Indian refining industry.
Capacity and Expansion History
From its original 2.2 MMTPA, the refinery has been progressively expanded through low-cost revamps and adoption of advanced technologies, reaching its current installed capacity of 12.0 MMTPA (~240,000 bpd). The Refinery Modernisation Project (RMP) was the pivotal expansion, adding a CDU/VDU, Hydrocracker Unit (HCU), Lubricating Oil Base Stock (LOBS) unit, and Hydrogen Generation Unit (HGU) to the refinery configuration. In December 2015, a new CDU-3 of 6.0 MMTPA was commissioned at a cost of ₹1,419 crore, replacing older crude and vacuum units and delivering 3% higher distillate yields with significantly improved energy and safety performance.
Crude Flexibility
The refinery has processed 96 different crude types sourced from all six continents, reflecting exceptional feedstock flexibility.
Processing Units and Technologies
The refinery runs a complex configuration supporting production of BS-VI compliant transport fuels, LPG, aviation turbine fuel (ATF), lubricant base stocks, and industrial products. A notable recent addition is the 1.5 MMTPA Kero Hydro Treater (KHT) Unit, completed in July 2023 in a record 22 months with zero delays, which upgrades kerosene fractions to meet cleaner fuel specifications.
The refinery operates the following processing units as listed on BPCL's official website:
| Process Unit |
Abbreviation |
Capacity / Notes |
| Crude Distillation Unit 4 |
CDU-4 |
Part of three CDU/VDU trains
totalling 12.0 MMTPA |
| New Crude Distillation Unit |
CDU-3 |
6.0 MMTPA; commissioned December 2015 |
| Vacuum Distillation Unit |
VDU |
Integrated with crude distillation |
| Fluid Catalytic Cracking Unit |
CCU / FCCU |
~2.0 MMTPA; to be replaced
by PRFCC |
| Hydro-Cracker Unit |
HCR |
~2.2 MMTPA; added under RMP |
| Lubricating Oil Base Stock Unit |
LOBS |
Lube oil production; added
under RMP |
| Reformer Feed Unit |
RFU |
Naphtha pre-treatment for
reformer feed |
| Naphtha Hydro-Desulphurisation Unit |
NHDS |
Naphtha sulphur removal |
| Catalytic Reforming Unit |
CRU |
Octane/aromatics upgrade |
| Aromatic Extraction Unit |
AEU |
Benzene/toluene/xylene recovery |
| New Solvent Unit |
NSU |
Solvent production for lube complex |
| Bitumen Blowing Unit |
BBU |
Specialty bitumen grades |
| Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether Unit |
MTBE |
Gasoline octane blending
component |
| Diesel Hydrodesulphurisation Unit |
DHDS |
Legacy diesel treating unit |
| Diesel Hydro-sulphurization Unit |
DHT |
2.6 MMTPA; BS-VI diesel
compliance |
| Kerosene Hydro Treater Unit |
KHT |
1.5 MMTPA; commissioned July 2023 |
| Sulphur Recovery Unit |
SRU |
H₂S treatment from
hydrotreating operations |
| Isomerization Unit |
ISOM |
Light naphtha octane upgrade;
BS-VI MS compliance |
| Treating Units |
— |
Product finishing and
caustic treating |
| Utilities Network |
— |
Steam, power, water,
nitrogen systems |
| Waste Water Treatment Plant |
WWTP |
Effluent treatment |
| Tertiary Treatment Plant |
TTP |
Advanced effluent polishing |
Location and Logistics
Situated adjacent to Mumbai's port infrastructure in the Mahul-Chembur industrial corridor, the refinery benefits from direct marine crude import access and pipeline connectivity to BPCL's broader product distribution network across western India.
Upcoming Major Investment
BPCL's board approved in May 2025 a ₹14,200 crore investment to replace the existing CCU and FCCU with a state-of-the-art Petro Resid Fluidised Catalytic Cracking (PRFCC) unit, targeting ~450,000 TPA of propylene output and significantly upgrading the refinery's petrochemical integration. Under Project Aspire, the overall Mumbai Refinery capacity is targeted for expansion to 16.0 MMTPA.
References
- Wikipedia. Mumbai Refinery (BPCL) (Page version: Jun 24, 2025)
- Reuters (Dec 17, 2024). India's BPCL plans to expand refining capacity by 2028
- ICIS — Jestin P. (Aug 24, 2024). India’s BPCL to invest Rs1.7 trillion on capacity growth over five years
- Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas, Government of India. Installed Refining Capacity. Petroleum Planning & Analysis Cell (Accessed Mar 25, 2025)
- Chemtech (Feb 20, 2021). Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited. Youtube video
- Engineers India Limited. (2015). Report No. A633-1741-EI-1201: Environmental impact assessment study for proposed diesel hydrotreating unit (DHT) project for production of BS-IV HSD at BPCL-Mumbai Refinery, Maharashtra
- Energyworld (Dec 28, 2015). BPCL’s New Crude Distillation unit in Mumbai commissioned, new refinery proposed in Maharashtra
- Engineers India Limited (EIL). Document No. B170-1742-EI-1802: EIA Study for Installation of Polypropylene (PP) unit at Rasayani and Interconnecting Pipelines from BPCL Mumbai Refinery (MR) to Rasayani
- Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Government of India (2020). Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited
- Symcom Group. Project Information — Client: Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited • Location:Mumbai, Maharashtra • Year Completed: May-18 , Feb-19
- AngelOne (Jun 2, 2025). BPCL Board Approves ₹14,200 Crore Upgrade of CCU and FCCU Units at Mumbai Refinery
- BPCL India (Jul 19, 2023). Mumbai Refinery Kero Hydro Treater Unit (KHT) Project. Youtube video
- Reuters (Dec 17, 2024). India's BPCL plans to expand refining capacity by 2028
