IOC sounds alarm

Rajkot, Nov 29: Even as the war of words over fixing responsibility for the oil slick at Vadinar goes on, the Indian Oil Corporation IOC...

Rajkot, Nov 29: Even as the war of words over fixing responsibility for the oil slick at Vadinar goes on, the Indian Oil Corporation IOC, with operations suspended, has already incurred a loss of Rs 2 crore in terms of demmurage to tankers.

Senior IOC officials including Shiv Kumar, general manager IOC-Vadinar, Major S C Agarwal and D B Mandal of the company8217;s pipelines division in Rajkot have warned that if operations remain suspended for another two days, crude stocks in the country8217;s three main refineries at Koyli, Mathura and Panipat would deplete, affecting production of petrol and kerosene and also result in short supply of petroleum products.

8220;Once production is affected at these three refineries, the entire north-west region will be adversely affected. Scarcity of petrol and kerosene may cause blackmarketing,8221; Kumar said. Mandal added that if the supply and production balance was disturbed, it would take about a month for the situation to return to normal.

Senior IOC officials in Noida met Petroleum Ministry officials today to get the suspension order revoked. The IOC8217;s Noida head office has, in yet another statement today, denied it was responsible for the oil slick and contested the State Forest Department8217;s claim that the oil leaked from the IOC Single Buoy Mooring SBM on the Vadinar coast.

Deputy Manager, corporate communications, Shiv Kumar said if the Forest Department failed to substantiate its claims, the IOC would drag it to court.8220;We have been put under unnecessary pressure because of this issue so we would definitely like to clear our name,8221; said D B Mandal of the company8217;s pipelines division in Rajkot.

Talking to Express Newsline Shiva Kumar said senior IOC officials had inspected the pipeline system including the SBM system and they had not found any leakage or spillage. 8220;Physical inspection of the pipeline by deep-sea divers and frogmen also confirmed there was no leakage or breach from any of IOC8217;s pipeline systems. The crude oil patches in the area being attributed to the IOC are totally baseless and untrue,8221; he said.He said though cases have been registered against two IOC officals S P Saxna and deputy manager maintenance S S Chorasiya and they have applied for anticipatory bail, they are not absconding as claimed by the Forest Department. 8220;Both officers are at IOC-Vadinar and are willing to meet anyone investigating the case,8221; Kumar stated. He said a three-member inquiry committee comprising senior IOC officials are closely monitoring and investigating the case to trace the source of the slick.

On the other hand, chief wildlife warden G A Patel stuck to his claims that IOC was responsible for the slick. However, even today the Forest Department does not have any conclusive proof to nail the IOC. Though Patel visited Vadinar and Narara Island on Saturday and the director of Marine National Park R C Pal has submitted a report, he says statements of key personnel are yet to be recorded to ascertain the exact8217; source of the spill.

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8220;Final investigation is incomplete because we are yet to record the statements of various persons. But if the IOC is saying it is not responsible for the slick, it is nonsense. Their SBM is nearest to the slick area. All agencies including the Gujarat Maritime Board, Pollution Control Board and Coast Guard extensively surveyed the area, but did not find oil anywhere else,8221; Patel said.