Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), which operates India’s largest domestic market-focused refinery located in Jamnagar, is scheduled to undergo a routine maintenance shutdown later this month. However, a senior official from the Petroleum Ministry has assured that this temporary closure will not disrupt the availability of fuels in the country, particularly liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). The government is actively coordinating the scheduling of maintenance outages among various refiners to ensure a stable supply of fuel against the backdrop of the ongoing crisis in West Asia, which has affected energy imports to India.
The refinery at Jamnagar has an annual capacity of 33 million tonnes and is a significant supplier of fuels within the Indian market. Additionally, RIL’s Jamnagar complex includes a special economic zone (SEZ) refinery with a capacity of 35.2 million tonnes, primarily focused on exports.
Regular maintenance shutdowns, also known as turnarounds, are essential for refineries to maintain safety standards, comply with industry regulations, and replace aging equipment. These planned outages allow for inspections, cleaning, repairs, and upgrades, enhancing operational efficiency. Due to the conflict in West Asia, many refineries are postponing scheduled shutdowns wherever possible to ensure that fuel supplies remain stable and sufficient for the Indian market.
According to Sujata Sharma, Joint Secretary of the Petroleum Ministry, RIL’s maintenance shutdown is expected to last approximately four weeks and will commence after Nayara Energy’s 20 million tonnes per annum Vadinar refinery resumes operations following its own maintenance turnaround, which is set to conclude by mid-May. The Vadinar refinery had previously experienced delays in its maintenance schedule, which began last month.
“Turnarounds are a normal part of refinery operations. Our ministry’s goal is to ensure that these shutdowns are staggered so as not to disrupt domestic fuel supplies, and we are currently managing this situation. The Nayara refinery is presently offline, but it is expected to come back online by mid-month or earlier, after which the Reliance shutdown will begin,” Sharma stated.
She emphasized that the shutdown would not affect domestic LPG production, as not all units at the RIL refinery will be out of operation. In terms of other fuel types such as petrol, diesel, and aviation turbine fuel, India is largely self-sufficient and even a net exporter, which alleviates concerns about supply shortages.
The conflict in West Asia and the subsequent closure of the Strait of Hormuz have notably impacted India’s energy imports, with LPG supplies being particularly strained due to the country’s heavy dependency on imports from key West Asian suppliers. Approximately 60% of India’s LPG consumption is met through imports, with around 90% of those supplies passing through the Strait of Hormuz—accounting for about 54% of the country’s LPG usage. For liquefied natural gas (LNG), which fulfills half of India’s natural gas needs, 55-60% of the supplies also transit through this corridor. Additionally, nearly 40% of crude oil imports come via the same shipping route.
Due to these disruptions, the Indian government has implemented rationing measures for LPG supplies targeted at industrial and commercial users to prioritize the needs of the approximately 330 million households that rely on LPG for cooking. To manage demand, the government has also increased the minimum interval between LPG refill bookings for households.
In response to the reduction in imports, domestic refineries have been ramping up their LPG production to partially compensate for the shortfall. Refiners are actively seeking LPG shipments from alternative sources such as the United States, Australia, and Russia. Moreover, India has successfully negotiated the release of nine LPG tankers that were previously stranded in the Persian Gulf.
The efforts to boost domestic LPG production have resulted in a 40% increase compared to pre-conflict levels, enabling local production to meet about 55% of the demand, up from 40%. Sharma reassured that domestic LPG output is projected to remain robust despite the scheduled maintenance of one of the country’s largest refineries.
Additionally, no supply shortages are anticipated for other major fuels—petrol, diesel, and aviation turbine fuel—given that India is a net exporter of these products. The government has also imposed export duties on diesel and aviation turbine fuel to discourage exports and ensure sufficient supply in the domestic market.
As the world’s third-largest consumer of crude oil and the fourth-largest refiner, India consumes a significant portion of the petroleum fuels it produces, with some volumes exported. The country’s refining capacity is approximately 260 million tonnes per annum, typically operating at over 100% of capacity.
In the fiscal year 2025-26 (FY26), Indian refineries collectively produced over 280 million tonnes of fuels and petroleum products, while domestic consumption reached around 240 million tonnes, as per data from the Petroleum Planning and Analysis Cell (PPAC) of the Petroleum Ministry.
Sukalp Sharma serves as a Deputy Associate Editor at The Indian Express, where he covers various sectors including energy and aviation. With over 16 years of experience in journalism, he has reported on topics ranging from politics to economic policy, and he enjoys photography and travel.
