India Reliance Apr crude import up 47 pct y/y-trade

NEW DELHI May 27 (Reuters) - India's Reliance Industries (RELI.BO) imported nearly 47 percent more crude in April than a year ago, signalling ramping up of its new plant, and tested a new Congonese grade Djeno, trade sources said.

The new refinery, after full commissioning, and the old 660,000 bpd plant will turn Jamnagar in western India into the world's largest oil complex.

During the month Reliance reduced import of Iranian crude, and raised volumes from Oman and Iraq, the sources said.

"Nearly 2.8 million tonnes in a month they process at their old plant, and remaining is sourced for the new refinery," said one trade source.

The second source said the firm tested a new grade, Angola's Dalian, this year and bought Congo's Djeno crude for the first time in April.

Reliance continued with purchases of Mexico's Maya, Qatar's Al Shaheen and Qatar grade, Neutral Zone's Ratawi, Eocene and Khafji, and Iran's Nowrooz grade, data from the sources showed.

It did not buy condensate Khuff from Saudi Arabia during April. Its crude import from Saudi Arabia, excluding condensate, declined marginally in the month from a year ago.

Reliance also bought Sudan's Nile Blend and Dar Blend, Angola's Dalian, Congo's Djeno, Oman, Dubai, Ecudor's Oriente, Iraq's Basrah, UAE's Upper Zakum, Egypt's Ras Gharib and Belayim and Caspian grade CPC, the sources said.

Grades that were not bought but were a part of Reliance's portfolio a year earlier included Venezuela's Leona-22 and Merey-16, UAE's Murban, Qatar's Al Rayan and Saudi Arabian condensate Khuff and Australia's Stybarrow.

Following is the table of Reliance's country-wise/grade crude imports in barrels per day in April, based on information from the sources. ------------------------------------------------- COUNTRY Apr 2009 Apr 2008 pct change ------------------------------------------------- MEXICO 64,060 71,010 -10.0 QATAR 96,890 73,530 32.0 NEU ZONE 117,700 91,430 29.0 SAUDI ARABIA 165,360 165,590 -0.14 KHUFF -- 10,260 -- EGYPT 59,280 -- -- IRAN 24,730 33,360 -26.0 SUDAN 40,790 -- -- UAE 16,160 47,620 -66.0 IRAQ 94,160 0 -- CPC 31,840 0 -- ORIENTE 38,780 0 -- DALIAN 66,450 0 -- OMAN 63,750 0 -- DJENO 65,160 0 -- VENEZUELA -- 140,720 -- AUSTRALIA -- 21,160 -- ------------------------------------------------- TOTAL 945,080 644,420 47.0 -------------------------------------------------

**NOTE: The numbers may not total as they have been rounded off after converting data in million tonnes into barrels using a conversion factor of 7.2. (Reporting by Nidhi Verma)