Coal news and updates

RIL not to go in for total maintenance shutdown in March

March 3: Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL), India's largest petroleum coke manufacturer, will not go in for complete maintenance shutdown in March as was anticipated earlier, a source told ICMW.

"March is peak month for industries to increase production and improve financial results. Not only steel makers, but cement makers too look at higher production and sales in March and in such a situation I do not think RIL will go for complete maintenance shutdown," the source, who is a regular consumer of RIL, said.

Confirming the development, a source in RIL said, "We right now have two cokers and going for maintenance shutdown is not a big deal. We had gone for a maintenance shutdown in November 2013 and then partially in January 2014 and February 2014, but this did not have much impact on production of pet coke."

"The shutdown will take place during five months of a year, but this will impact production only to the extent of 10-15% of our total production and as such will not have much impact on overall supplies," the source in RIL added.

Asked how much impact the maintenance shutdown could have on overall supplies, the source said, "There may be some supply constraints because of a 10% supply cut for 10-15 days due to maintenance shutdown, but not much."

Adhering to the views expressed by RIL source, an industry source when asked if there was any disturbance in supplies of pet coke from RIL in recent days, said, "I am getting my supplies from RIL as per the contract for Q4 of 2013-14."