Key Points
The Delhi High Court on Thursday upheld the Appellate Tribunal for Electricitys (Aptel) order that allowed Reliance Industries to be made a party in a case related to designation of a pipeline, commissioned by oil companies BPCL and HPCL, as a common/contract carrier for transportation of petroleum and petroleum products by other entities as well...
Before the Aptel, the PSU oil companies have raised the issue whether the pipeline commissioned by them for their exclusive use for transporting Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) produced at their Mumbai refinery to their storage tanks at Mumbai International Airport is a common/contract carrier for the petroleum and petroleum product pipeline under Section 20 of the PNGRB Act...
The RILs counsel argued that if the Board had taken a decision not to declare the pipelines in question as a contract carrier, then RIL could certainly have maintained an appeal against such a decision and if RIL could have maintained an appeal against the decision, then it automatically becomes a necessary and a proper party before the tribunal...
In 2016, RIL submitted a request to the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board to declare the aviation turbine fuel pipelines emanating from the refineries of BPCL and HPCL as a common carrier...
