The remaining two lines are also expected to be commissioned over the next few weeks. The plant has an aggregate capacity of 1.4 milllion metric tonnes per annum comprising three lines with a capacity to produce 467,000 MTA each. RIL is poised to emerge as the third largest producer of paraxylene in the world after BP-Amoco and Exxon-Mobil upon commissioning of all three lines.

According to a company release, a large part of the paraxylene output from the plant is meant for captive consumption at RIL's PTA manufacturing facilities at Patalganga and Hazira. RIL currently has an aggregate PTA capacity of around one million MTA.

The entire production from RIL's paraxylene plant is likely to be consumed captively over the next few months with no significant quantities available for exports till the first quarter of 2000. The plant is fully integrated with the group's recently commissioned grassroots refinery with a capacity of 27 million MTA at the same complex with the key feedstock--reformate becoming available from the refinery. RIL's paraxylene plant's global scale and feedstock integration make it one of the most competitive paraxylene production units in the world, according to the release.

The Reliance group has invested approximately Rs 24,000 crore in various projects at the jamnagar complex comprising the refinery, integrated petrochemicals complex, ports, captive power facilities and other related infrastructure.

RIL is among the largest private sector companies in the country in terms of sales, profits as well as assets. In the financial year 1998-99 it had slaes of Rs 14,553 crore and net profit of Rs 1,704 crore.