Indian-Omani group strikes $3.85 bln deal to build Sri Lanka oil refinery

China Harmony Auto Holding

19/03/2019 13:15

By Shihar Aneez and Ranga Sirilal
    COLOMBO, March 19 (Reuters) - India's Accord Group and
Oman's Ministry of Oil and Gas have signed a $3.85 billion deal
to build an oil refinery in Sri Lanka, the biggest single pledge
of foreign direct investment ever made in the country. 
    Sri Lankan officials said the 200,000 barrel-per-day
refinery will be built on 585 acres near the site of the new
Hambantota international port and a related industrial zone on
the nation's southern coast. 
     The refinery, construction of which is expected to begin on
March 24 and be completed in 44 months, is expected to produce 9
million metric tonnes of refined products a year for export from
the Hambantota port, which serves the busiest East-West shipping
route.

 (Additional reporting by Jessica Jaganathan in Singapore and
Nidhi Verma in New Delhi; Edited by Martin Howell and Jan
Harvey)
 ((shihar.aneez@thomsonreuters.com; +94-11-232-5540; Reuters
Messaging: shihar.aneez.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net
twitter:@shiharaneez))