Bharat Petroleum Launches Low Smoke Superior Kerosene Oil for the Indian Army Key Points:
- BPCL has launched Low Smoke Superior Kerosene Oil (SKO) for the Indian Army in Jammu
- BPCL is the first OMC to supply the new LSLA grade SKO, which will improve the serving environment and reduce issues related to smoke and smell
- The low smoke kerosene is designed to provide a cleaner fuel for soldiers operating in high altitude and tough terrain
- The Indian Army consumes around 70 TKL/A of SKO for their Northern and Eastern commands, with the Northern command consuming a higher quantity of around 45 TKL/A
- BPCL’s Industrial and Commercial (I&C) SBU, along with the Corporate Research & Development Centre (CRDC) and Mumbai Refinery, developed the upgraded SKO and conducted field trials at Karu (Leh-Ladakh) and Gangtok
- Regular supply of the upgraded SKO to the Indian Army will commence soon, and BPCL is also supplying LPG to Army Core 14 at Leh through an “eternal flame” installation
Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), a ‘Maharatna’ and Fortune Global 500 company, has announced the launch of low smoke superior kerosene oil (SKO) for the Indian Army in Jammu.
BPCL is the first oil marketing company to begin supplying the new LSLA grade SKO to the Army, which will significantly improve the serving environment and address issues related to smoke and smell during the use of SKO.
The use of regular kerosene can produce significant amounts of smoke, which poses a health hazard to Army personnel using it at high altitudes where oxygen levels are low. The introduction of low smoke kerosene is a significant step towards providing a cleaner fuel option for soldiers operating in challenging terrain.
Vetsa Ramakrishna Gupta, Director (Finance) with additional charge of C&MD and Director (HR) at BPCL, spoke about the company’s proud association with the Army and its confidence in the strength of the partnership and value-adding initiatives. Lt. Gen. M K S Yadav also expressed his appreciation for BPCL’s efforts, including the commencement of HSD (Winter Grade) supplies in the Eastern Command. He congratulated BPCL on the launch of the LSLA grade, which will significantly improve conditions for forces at forward locations.
Sukhmal Jain, Director (Marketing) at Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited, said on the occasion, ‘The courage, valor, and dedication of our army in protecting the honor of Mother India is incomparable. We can only salute their selfless dedication to serving our motherland and their willingness to work in difficult conditions at high altitudes as a shield. Supplying low smoke superior kerosene oil to the army at high altitudes is our way of thanking them for their service to the nation and a small gesture to make their lives a bit easier.’
S. Jena, Executive Director (Industrial & Commercial) at BPCL, said on the occasion, ‘BPCL currently has a 16% share of the Indian Army’s petroleum product supply, providing approximately 70 TKL annually. In addition, BPCL has partnered with the Indian Army to provide over 100 consumer pumps and ‘scattered storage locations’ at strategic locations and is actively pursuing key initiatives.’
The first lorry carrying the LSLA grade SKO from the Jammu Depot was flagged off virtually by Lt. Gen. Manoj K S Yadav, SM, Director General of Supplies & Transport at the Integrated HQ of the Ministry of Defense, and V R K Gupta, Director (Finance) with additional charge of C&MD and HR, in the presence of Sanjay Khanna, Director (Refineries), Sukhmal Jain, Director (Marketing), and Maj. Gen. Ashok Choudhary, VrC, ADGST (FT).
The supply of SKO to the Army is critical, as it is used as fuel in room heaters (Bukhari) at high altitude camps. The Army consumes approximately 70 TKL/year of SKO for its Northern and Eastern commands, with the Northern Command using a higher quantity of about 45 TKL/year. The introduction of low smoke kerosene is a significant step towards providing a cleaner fuel option for the nation’s brave soldiers.
During the product innovation process, BPCL’s Industrial and Commercial (I&C) SBU, in association with the Corporate Research & Development Centre (CRDC) and Mumbai Refinery, developed the upgraded SKO with tailored parameters related to smoke point and aromatic content and conducted field trials at Karu (Leh-Ladakh) and Gangtok.
Encouraged by the successful results of the trials, BPCL’s I&C unit has implemented a tailored logistics arrangement and has moved a batch of the upgraded SKO to the Jammu depot. Regular supply of the upgraded SKO to the Indian Army will commence soon. BPCL is also proud to be associated with Army Core 14 at Leh, where the company has installed an ‘eternal flame’ that provides a continuous supply of LPG.
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