MRPL denies rumours of refinery shutdown amid West Asia conflict; confirms operations are normal

Mangaluru (Karnataka) [India], March 7 (ANI): Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited (MRPL) has officially denied reports circulating on social media regarding a partial shutdown of its facilities, asserting that its operations remain fully functional despite speculation of feedstock shortages.
The state-controlled refiner issued a formal clarification on Saturday, following a post by OilPrice.com on X (formerly Twitter). The viral post had suggested that the 300,000 barrel-per-day (bpd) refinery was shutting down units because Middle Eastern crude oil supplies were "stuck in the Gulf" due to regional tensions.

MRPL has categorised these claims as factually incorrect, maintaining that the refinery is running as scheduled and has secured its supply chain for the foreseeable future. In an official statement, the company said, "we hereby clarify that, MRPL denies the aforesaid rumour/tweet which is factually incorrect and herby confirms that MRPL is operating normal and it has lined-up adequate quantities of crude oil to sustain operations"
The refinery is operating at its normal capacity without any reported unit shutdowns.
Contrary to rumors of a shortage, the company has "lined-up adequate quantities" of crude oil.
The company has requested that the public take this denial on record to prevent market misinformation.
"'We request you to kindly take the above on record."
Indian Oil Corporation also faced similar rumours. The company rubbished reports on social media suggesting a shortage of petrol and diesel, and termed them as baseless.
"India has sufficient fuel stocks, and supply and distribution networks are functioning normally. IndianOil is committed to maintaining uninterrupted fuel supply across the country. Citizens are requested not to panic or crowd fuel stations and to rely only on official sources for accurate information," IndianOil posted on X.
Petroleum Minister Hardeep Puri on Friday said there is no shortage of energy in India and there is no cause of worry for its energy consumers.
The minister discussed various aspects of India's uninterrupted energy imports despite geopolitical challenges with the media.
"Our priority is to ensure availability of affordable and sustainable fuel for our citizens, and we are doing it comfortably. There is no shortage of energy in India and there is no cause of worry for our energy consumers," the minister posted on X. (ANI)