Reliance Petro'S Gujarat Project On Schedule

Reliance Petroleum, the group company of Reliance Industries has estimated that its upcoming, multi-crore Jamnagar site suffered damages anywhere between Rs 100-200 crore due to the recent cyclone.

The company has already taken steps to ensure revival of construction after the cyclone that swept Gujarat coast on June 8. They asserted that all projects at the site including the 18 million tonne refinery are on schedule.

The cyclone had affected work at most major companies located near the coast. There had been some doubts about the damage to Reliance's Jamnagar site leading to speculation that the project may be delayed.

 

Addressing newspersons at Jamnagar yesterday, a team of senior Reliance executives said rapid steps taken by the company had prevented further damage and had revived operations very quickly.

Communication facilities were restored within four days, diesel generating sets were operational within 24 hours and within 48 hours, contractors had been mobilised to put back sheetings, false ceilings and etc.

Reliance has so far spent Rs 70 crore on repairing the damage.

Manoj Modi, senior vice-president commerical, Reliance Industries said the company will recover most of the money from its insurance companies. Modi said no claim has so far been made and will be done so in the coming weeks.

"The site is being eased back to pre-cyclone situation. It will take another 12 days for plant and equipment to be set right, while labour mobilisation will be completed in 10 days," Modi explained.

Nearly 40,000 workers were working at the Jamnagar site before the cyclone. Of these, between 15,000-20,000 had run away after the disaster fearing epidemic and more such storms.

Later on a tour of the site, Reliance executives explained that only temporary infrastructure had been damaged, no permanent structure had suffered. Rooftops had been blown away, some communications towers had been uprooted but nothing other than that, a senior Reliance team member explained.

Some tank farms, the company had built to store petroleum products had been damaged by the high-velocity winds running to over 200 kmph. A senior Bechtel executive said all permanent structure were designed to withstand wind velocity of over 190 kmph.

Some tank farms had not het been fitted with wind girders and thus had been smashed to a crumpled shape.

Reliance is investing Rs 22,000 crore in Jamnagar complex which includes a refinery, a petrochemical complex, a captive power plant and marine jetty. While the 18 million tonne refinery is scheduled to be completed by June next year, the petrochemicals complex will commence operations just before that.