India's crude oil imports is likely to rise by a marginal 4 per cent to 75 mt in 2001-02 against 72 mt in the current financial year, petroleum ministry sources said here.

Crude oil import bill for 2000-01 is pegged at Rs 80,000 crore as against Rs 54,000 crore in the previous year.

Of the total 75 mt of domestic crude requirement, public sector Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) is likely to import about 45 mt in 2001-02, while private sector Reliance Petroleum, which operates world's largest grassroot refinery of 27 mt at Jamnagar in Gujarat, is expected to import 27 mt.

Aditya Birla-Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) joint venture Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd (MRPL) would account for the remaining, the sources said.

Domestic crude production is likely to remain stagnant at 33 mt in 2001-02, mostly unchanged from current fiscal, meeting around 30 per cent of the total crude oil requirement. Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) plans to invest Rs 2,000 crore in oil exploration during the next fiscal, same as the amount spent in 2000-01, sources added.