State-run Hindustan Petroleum Corp. has said a hydrocarbon leak was the likely trigger behind the April 20 fire at its joint venture refinery in Rajasthan.
The corporation officials said that restoration work is underway and the crude distillation unit (CDU) is expected to restart in the second half of May.
In a stock exchange filing, HPCL said the blaze at the Re 79,450-crore HPCL Rajasthan Refinery Ltd project was confined to the heat exchanger stack, affecting six exchangers and related equipment.
“Based on the circumstantial evidence, the cause of fire is suspected to be leakage from pressure gauge tapping point on the vacuum residue exchanger inlet line,” the company official said.
The incident occurred a day before the refinery's scheduled inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The ceremony has since been postponed, with a revised date yet to be announced. HPCL said repairs are expected to be completed within three to four weeks.
"The restoration work is in progress and it is expected to be completed in the next 3-4 weeks. CDU restart is anticipated in the 2nd fortnight of May 2026," it added.
Trial production of LPG, petrol, diesel and naphtha is likely to begin in May, followed by stabilisation and full commissioning.
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The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has ordered a separate probe into the incident, led by former MRPL Managing Director M Venkatesh.
The 9 million tonnes per annum refinery-cum-petrochemical complex in Balotra is among India's most advanced, with a Nelson Complexity Index of 17.
Once operational, it will produce transport fuels and key petrochemicals, supporting India's push to boost value-added output and cut import dependence.
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