Thursday, July 13, 2006

Jamnagar refinery visit

People who have read my earlier blog “My failures and how I feel about them now” (http://neerajgutgutia.blogspot.com/2005/09/my-failures-and-how-i-feel-about-them.html) need to read this.

As you know I have joined Reliance now. And as part of the induction program I was taken to Jamnagar for a visit. I couldn’t help compare the last experience and this one. Last time I traveled all the way from my home town to Jamnagar changing train thrice on the way. This time I flew from Mumbai directly to Jamnagar in Reliance’s own plane. Last time I was not allowed to enter inside the refinery gate and this time I was given a VIP pass. I was not only shown around the refinery but also the mango farm, the jetty, the township and night visit to the plant. And I must admit it was worth the wait …(5 years!!!)

One of my colleagues there at Jamnagar described it as a visit to Jurassic Park where every thing is so big that gives you a very humbling feeling. To give you an idea of the size of the plant ….

One of the oil storage tanks is as big as a football field!!

Inside one of the pipeline you can drive a Maruti Zen!!!

During our visit our guide was so regularly mentioning about different units of the plant being world’s biggest that one of our colleagues asked him to mention only when it’s not the biggest in the world.

That was size…but the most interesting part is the efficiency. Most plant operates at 130 – 150 % of their rated capacity. And when you ask them how is it possible you are looked at as if asking – isn’t that expected?

And the experience ….

The 4 km long jetty over sea is a great drive. You feel that you are riding in air just above the sea with fresh air hitting your face and nothing but sea all around you. I wish I was allowed to drive there :(

The mango farm with 1000 or so variety of mangoes is something worth watching too. You can see mangoes of different color (including brinjal color) and sizes. The surprising part - the height of none of the mango plants was more than mine. In mango plantation too you can experience Reliance trademark innovation. The productivity is many times the benchmark. They have used in-house technology for retaining moisture, watering etc. to increase productivity per unit of land.

The township is not only well planned and big it also state of art. To just give you an idea – it has a floodlit cricket field inside it!! Apart from that of course you have hospital, school, club, temple etc.

The rail terminal had capacity to load 64 racks at a time. The truck terminal for liquids is even bigger… I can just go on and on.

The plant is a treat to watch in the night. Cameras are not allowed in the refinery otherwise I would have posted pictures. The night drive inside the refinery is something only lucky few can experience and I must tell you it’s just out of the world.

After his visit to Tajmahal Clinton remarked ‘There are two kinds of people in the world. Those who have seen it and love it and those who have not seen it and love it’. My feeling is similar - I loved Jamnagar before I have seen it and I love it even more after I have seen it. For those who will never get an opportunity to see it...well you have missed something in life.

3 comments:

Navin said...

Wow!!!...it was mind-bogling just reading it & "trying" to imagine the Jamnagar refinery...seeing it must have been one out-of-the-world experience for you Neeraj...i can see that you're accomplishing all your dreams one by one...gr8 going pal!!!...its quite inspirational for me...gr8 to read ur post after what seems like ages now..keep writing!!

Neeraj Gutgutia said...

Thanks a lot navin..how are you doing...i heared you left ICICI...best of luck for cat...is your mobile no the same?

Unknown said...

hi buddy,
may be u r alright abt reliance what u have mentioned.
but i worked in reliance for more than 06 years and to me it was one of the worst company to work with. offcourse i dnt know at what capacity u havejoined, but for an engineers and all it is one of the place where u are getting exploited at each and every stage, no human values, and people are looking for changing the job within 06 months of joining. u can just have an idea if u are allowed to c the no of people reliance in last 05 yeras.
the place is full of attrocities, anyways, best of luck for assignment at reliance