Reliance Industries refinery starts operations

India's Reliance Industries Ltd. (RIL) started operations Dec. 25, 2008, at its 580,000 b/d refinery at Jamnagar in western India.

Jan. 7, 2009

By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, Jan. 7 -- India's Reliance Industries Ltd. (RIL) started operations Dec. 25, 2008, at its 580,000 b/d refinery at Jamnagar in western India. Reliance said it is now synchronizing and commissioning secondary units.

The facility, along with Reliance's neighboring 660,000 b/d refinery, will form the world's largest refining complex, having a total capacity of 1.24 million b/d.

RIL said it expects the refinery to reach full capacity shortly, but the company will likely have a slow ramp-up because of a slump in the global demand for products and relatively weaker refining margins.

The refinery is owned by RIL's Reliance Petroleum Ltd. unit, in which Chevron Corp. holds a 5% stake.

RIL was expected to commission the refinery months ahead of its yearend schedule, but delayed its start as the global economic slowdown reduced demand for oil products, and refining margins crashed.