RIL to shut refinery units for maintenance

The company, which operates the world's biggest refining complex, will shut half of its 660,000 barrels per day (bpd) refinery in India for a four-week planned maintenance starting Sunday

Reliance Industries Ltd , which operates the world's biggest refining complex, will shut half of its 660,000 barrels per day (bpd) refinery in India for a four-week planned maintenance from Sunday, a source familiar with the matter said.

Reliance, controlled by billionaire Mukesh Ambani, has two advanced refineries at Jamanagar in western Gujarat state which can jointly process 1.2 million bpd of oil, or about 28 percent of India's overall capacity.

The refiner said in a statement on Thursday that it will shut a fluid catalytic cracker and a crude distillation unit (CDU) at Jamanagar, without mentioning which plant would be affected.

The refinery has two CDUs of equal capacity and its refined products are meant to meet local demand.

The two refineries together have four CDUs.

The remaining three CDUs and all other secondary processing units will operate normally and all customer commitments will be met, the company said in a statement.

It will also use the period to carry out modifications to enhance the units' reliability and performance, Reliance said.

The source said Reliance will also carry out maintenance work at the delayed coker and diesel hydrotreater during the shutdown.