<div><span style="line-height: 1.4;">Reliance Industries is planning to move forward its maintenance at a crude distillation unit (CDU) at its 580,000 barrels-per-day (bpd) Jamnagar refinery by about a week to 6 or 7 February, traders said. When contacted, Reliance's spokesman was unable to comment on the matter.</span></div><div> </div><div>Traders said the CDU at the export-oriented newer complex will shut for a maximum of 25 days. The maintenance was initially planned for January but it was later postponed to around 15 February.</div><div> </div><div>Reliance's maintenance is being scheduled just as Indian diesel demand is picking up slightly, which could curb supply and boost margins, traders said.</div><div> </div><div>Essar Oil offered only one diesel cargo for January loading, after selling three cargoes for December. The company has yet to offer a cargo for February.</div><div> </div><div>This is likely due to a pick-up in diesel demand in India, where it is used in the industrial, agricultural and transport sectors and closely follows the country's economic health.</div><div> </div><div>India's economy will gather steam this year after its worst performance in a decade as a slew of reforms take hold and the central bank eases policy to spur growth, a Reuters poll found.</div><div> </div><div>Asian gasoil margins have stayed above $19 a barrel since November, last year. They could go higher from the second quarter as maintenance season begins, traders said.</div><div> </div><div>Reliance operates another plant in Jamnagar which has a capacity of 660,000 bpd. The site was hit by a fire last month that brought down on the refinery's CDUs for about a week.</div><div> </div><div>(Reuters) </div>
