US Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited the Reliance refinery complex in Jamnagar, India, in 2026 as the company was importing more Venezuelan crude. The complex can process the heavy, sulfur-rich oil produced in Venezuela into fuels including diesel.

Key Takeaways

  • Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar traveled to Mumbai for discussions with Rubio.
  • Reliance exported 21.66 million tonnes of refined petroleum products in the first half of 2025.

Reliance refinery and Venezuelan crude

Rubio traveled to Mumbai and visited Reliance Industries’ Jamnagar complex. The company’s crude sources include Venezuela, and its imports from the country rose after US intervention there.

Venezuela’s Merey crude is ultra-heavy and high in sulfur. Processing it requires complex refineries equipped with coking units; facilities designed for lighter crude are not necessarily suited to the task. Reliance’s capacity can handle heavy, sulfur-rich crude.

Fuel exports and US refinery plans

Of Reliance’s estimated 21.66 million tonnes of refined-product exports in the first half of 2025, diesel accounted for 9.81 million tonnes. Petrol contributed 6.14 million tonnes and jet fuel 2.06 million tonnes.

Reliance is also a major backer of an America First Refining facility being developed at the Port of Brownsville in the United States. The company has a binding 20-year commitment to purchase and handle a major share of the refinery’s output.

Venezuela’s production challenge

Venezuela holds an estimated 303 billion barrels of oil reserves, according to OPEC statistics cited in the source material. Its production was 1.1 million barrels per day in 2025, below the 2.9 million barrels per day recorded in 2008.

Production facilities have been left partly in disrepair, and increasing output substantially would require significant investment.

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