RIL plans to shut VGO unit at 580,000 bpd refinery

Reliance Industries Ltd , owner of the world's biggest refining complex in Gujarat, plans to shut a vacuum gas oil (VGO) hydrotreater at its 580,000 barrels per day (bpd) refinery in July, two sources familiar with the shutdown plan said on Friday.

The refinery, adjacent to an older 660,000 bpd refinery at Jamnagar in Gujarat, has two VGO hydrotreaters of 110,000 bpd capacity each.

The shutdown is for catalyst replacement and will last for about two weeks, the sources said.

A VGO hydrotreater removes sulphur and nitrogen content from heavy feedstock to produce feed for units like fluid catalytic crackers, which produce value added products like liquefied petroleum gas and gasoline.

No immediate comment was available from Reliance.