Also the cumulative refinery production in terms of crude throughput in the period marginally fell to 18.269 million tonnes as against the target of 18.470 million tonnes. The current refinery production at this level is, however, 15.9 per cent higher than the output of 15.757 million tonnes attained during the corresponding period of the previous year.

Refinery-wise, capacity utilisation in Q1, has marked an increase to 102.8 per cent as against the utilisation of 93.6 per cent in the corresponding period of the previous year.

Thesupplies of natural gas excluding JVC/private in Q1, also marked a decline by 2.1 per cent.

The supply of natural gas in the current period is 4,672 million cubic metres as against 4,772 million cubic metres in the corresponding period of the previous year.

The reasons for shortfall in crude output in respect of target by ONGC has been attributed to less than adequate response from thermal EOR schemes in heavy oil belt of Mehsanai in Gujarat, inadequate power supply and frequent power cuts by the Gujarat Electricity Board (GEB). Apart from these, increase in water cut and seizure of wells in Gandhar field, adversely affected production from A/L wells. In Assam, the slowdown in production was due to increase in water cut in Lakwa field and environmental problems.The crude throughput production fell short of target in refineries in Guwahati, Haldia, Digboi, Panipat, HPCL (Mumbai), MRL (Manali), BR&PL (Assam) and NRL, Numaligarh. The reasons for shortfall in crude throughput in Guwahati refinery was due toshutdown of CDU from May 31 to June 9 for flare hook-up jobs and in Haldia refinery it was due to deferment of M&I shutdown from May to July. In Digboi refinery the shortfall was due to shutdown of CDU on June 2 as a result of power and steam failure, while in Panipat refinery it was due to shutdown of CDU/VDU from June 2 to 18 as a result of fire in CDU column heavy naphtha circulating reflux draw-off line.