Flexibility helps RIL beat peers, achieve 90-100% capacity under lockdown

In comparison PSU refiners were able to achieve 60%; RIL's oil-to-chemical biz can shift quickly from fuel to chemicals, domestic to exports

Operational flexibility to shift from the domestic to export market and higher petrochemical production helped Reliance Industries (RIL) to operate at 90-100 per cent capacity even amid the lockdown in April and May.

In comparison, large public sector refiners operated at a combined average capacity of 59 per cent in April.

RIL produced more chemicals than fuel as it saw good export demand for petrochemicals, especially for polymers. The company’s oil to chemical business, which is being carved out as a separate company, has the operational flexibility to shift quickly from fuel to chemicals, domestic to exports and also using feedstock flexibility.

According