Unions at state-run oil firms have called for an indefinite strike from Wednesday (January 7) demanding higher wages. The strike is expected to hit the operations of at least three of the companies' 17 refineries. According to Oil Sector Officers Association President Amit Kumar the strike will begin from 6 a.m. He also informed that ONGC's Hazira natural gas processing plant, which processes 40 million cubic metres a day and produces some naphtha, was being shut down.

 

Amit Kumar stated that the recent strike will involve 55,000 employees. The unions have called for several such strikes in recent years, none of which have lasted very long or affected significant energy operations. Talking to media, Petroleum Secretary R.S. Pandey assured that crude oil output of Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC) and Oil India Ltd will not be affected by the strike. However, he said that operations at three refineries may be partly hit by the agitation.

 

According to a senior official at Indian Oil Corp, the strike can affect its 260,000 barrel per day (bpd) Koyali refinery, the 240,000 bpd Panipat refinery, the 160,000 bpd Mathura refinery and the 120,000 bpd Haldia refinery. Meanwhile report says that Private refiners Reliance Industries and Essar Oil will continue their operations. The strike is expected to have lesser impact on the supplies of diesel as tens of thousands of truckers have been on a nationwide strike since Monday.