Union Petroleum and Natural Ministry Secretary S Sundareshan announced that the oil marketing companies would be making an investment of more than Rs 1,000 crore in Kerala to strengthen the marketing of petroleum products in the State.

While addressing media persons, Mr. Sundareshan stated that the sum, to be invested by the next 3-4 years, would be utilized for growth of LPG facilities and storage tanks and to establish a new bottling facilityin Kozhikode.

Mr. Sundareshan also said that the upcoming bottling plant would have a capacity of 16,000 tonne per annum and around Rs 25 crore would be invested in the plant.

Besides, approx Rs 2,600 crore would be pumped in to lay pipelines in Kerala.

Enumerating the details of a meeting earlier held to review marketing activities in the State, the secretary said Kerala recorded 80% coverage in terms of LPG connections and was recording a growth of four to five per cent.

He also noted that the work on the forthcoming LPG terminal was moving ahead according to schedule and the work would be finished by the first quarter of 2012.

As part of the terminal project, a pipeline would be laid between the terminal and FACT, and Kochi Refinery and simultanously an under sea pipeline would be laid between terminal and NTPC Power Project in Kayamkulam, he added.

While the work on these pipelines would be completed by the end of 2011, the work on the pipeline between Kochi and Mangalore, which would have an extension to Bangalore, would be completed by the end of 2012, he noted. (With Inputs from Agencies)