Assam Petro-Chemicals Limited (APL) is a semi-government chemical manufacturing company based in the Indian state of Assam. The company is engaged primarily in the production of methanol and formaldehyde, derived from natural gas sourced from the petroleum-rich fields of Upper Assam. It is one of the few public sector petrochemical units in the North East region of India and is owned by the Government of Assam.
| Name | Assam Petro-Chemicals Limited |
|---|---|
| Type | State public sector undertaking |
| Industry | Petrochemicals |
| Headquarters | Namrup, Dibrugarh district, Assam, India |
| Owner | Government of Assam |
| Principal products | Methanol, Formaldehyde |
Assam Petro-Chemicals was established to make use of the natural gas resources of the Brahmaputra valley, particularly the gas fields in and around Namrup in Dibrugarh district. The location was chosen for its proximity to gas supply infrastructure, including the Oil India Limited gas network and other industrial facilities at Namrup such as the Brahmaputra Valley Fertilizer Corporation unit and the Namrup Thermal Power Station.
As a state-promoted enterprise, the company was conceived as part of broader industrial development efforts in Assam aimed at value addition to indigenous hydrocarbon resources rather than allowing the gas to be flared or exported in raw form.
The company's core operations involve converting natural gas into methanol, which is in turn used as a feedstock for formaldehyde production. These chemicals serve a range of downstream industries:
Assam Petro-Chemicals is significant as one of the earliest petrochemical ventures in North East India. By processing natural gas locally, it contributes to industrial activity in Upper Assam, supports employment in the Namrup industrial belt, and supplies key chemical inputs to plywood and resin manufacturers in the region. The company is often cited in discussions of Assam's industrial policy and the utilisation of the state's natural gas reserves.