New Delhi, Feb. 3 -- Engineers India Ltd (EIL) is in talks with the government of Guyana to help build its first oil refinery, CMD Vartika Shukla said in an interview, a step that could deepen energy ties between India and the South American country.

EIL plans to offer project management and consultancy services for the proposed refinery.

Guyana had first come up with a tender for a refinery with a capacity of 30,000 barrels per day. However, the plan was shelved because the capacity was found to be unviable.

"The current consideration of the authorities is to develop a refinery of 1.5 million-2 million tonne per annum (mtpa) capacity," an Indian government official said, requesting anonymity.

Constructing a 1.5mtpa refinery would cos...