Case Study: AV Gas Project, IOCL – Paradip, Odisha

For Indian Oil Corporation Limited’s AV Gas (Aviation Gasoline) Project at Paradip, Odisha, Ocean Non Wovens supplied and installed 600 square metres of Ocean HDPE Liner – 1500 Micron, a geomembrane used for fuel containment. The area was small, but the setting was not: a live petroleum facility with strict safety rules and a humid coastal climate.

The AV Gas project

Aviation gasoline, chiefly the 100 LL (Low Lead) grade, fuels piston-engine aircraft used in pilot training, agricultural flying and defence. India imported all of it until 2022, when IndianOil began domestic production and marketing of AVGAS 100 LL. Paradip, on the Odisha coast, is one of IOCL’s major refinery and fuel logistics locations on the east coast.

Aviation gasoline is volatile and flammable, so any spill or seepage has to be contained before it reaches soil or groundwater. That is the job of the HDPE liner.

Why a 1500 micron HDPE liner

• Thickness and strength: at 1500 microns (1.5 mm), the liner resists mechanical damage during installation and the loads around fuel handling areas better than thinner sheets, and has more margin against stress cracking.
• Chemical resistance: HDPE resists a wide range of hydrocarbons, oils and solvents, which is why it is widely used for secondary containment at fuel installations. For a specific fuel, compatibility is usually confirmed by immersion testing such as ASTM D5747.
• Very low permeability: an intact, well-seamed HDPE liner is effectively impermeable to liquids, limiting the risk of fuel reaching the ground and groundwater.
• Durability: carbon black and antioxidants in geomembrane-grade HDPE protect it against UV and oxidation; service life is longest when the liner is covered.

Execution on a live fuel site

Though the quantity was 600 SQM, the installation was demanding because of the safety norms that apply at petroleum and fuel storage sites.

Challenges

• Working inside a live fuel facility meant tighter safety and hazard-control procedures, including control of hot work such as welding.
• Paradip’s humid coastal climate made it harder to keep seam surfaces dry and clean for welding.
• The base had to be prepared precisely to avoid damaging the liner.

How the team handled them

• Experienced welders and quality control engineers trained in petroleum-site safety did the work.
• Seams were joined with automatic wedge welding machines. A dual-track wedge weld leaves an air channel between the two tracks, which is pressurised and monitored to test each seam (ASTM D5820); extrusion-welded details are checked by vacuum box (ASTM D5641).
• The substrate was prepared to specification, free of sharp debris and trapped moisture.

This brought the installation to the required safety and quality standards for the project’s commissioning.

What HDPE liners do at fuel installations

Tanks and pipelines get most of the attention in fuel infrastructure, but the liner beneath them is what protects the ground if something leaks. HDPE liners:

• prevent soil and groundwater contamination from fuel seepage
• provide secondary containment in bunds, dyke areas and pits
• can reduce the need for more complex concrete containment structures

Compliance and documentation

Because of the material handled, the project was subject to strict regulatory scrutiny. The Ocean HDPE Liner was supplied against:

• GRI-GM13, the Geosynthetic Institute specification for HDPE geomembranes (density, tensile, tear, puncture, carbon black and stress crack resistance).
• IOCL’s internal quality and HSE (Health, Safety and Environment) requirements.

Ocean Non Wovens also provided documentation, QA/QC logs and third-party lab certificates for compliance.

About Ocean Non Wovens

Ocean Non Wovens supplies HDPE liners, geotextiles, GCLs and erosion control products for industrial and environmental projects, from aviation fuel containment to landfills, reservoirs and mining. The company has over a decade of experience and has completed hundreds of projects across India and abroad. For HDPE liners on your next project, contact the team or browse more geosynthetics case studies.