Rubio calls India a 'refining superpower', pushes Venezuelan oil tie-up with Reliance

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, on a two-day visit to Mumbai and Jamnagar, met Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar and the Ambanis to discuss energy cooperation. He said the US would encourage Reliance to refine more Venezuelan crude at its Jamnagar complex, the world's largest refinery.

Mukesh Ambani and his son Anant Ambani held wide-ranging discussions with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the global energy landscape and the intersection of energy with digital infrastructure, including data centres, Reliance Industries said in a statement on Wednesday. Rubio also met External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar in Mumbai during his two-day visit to Mumbai and Jamnagar.

Calling India a 'refining superpower', Rubio said Washington planned to encourage Reliance to refine more Venezuelan crude at its Jamnagar refineries and potentially begin producing oil in the South American country. The Jamnagar complex, with a combined capacity of about 1.4 million barrels per day, can process ultra-heavy Venezuelan crudes that most refineries cannot handle.

The visit comes as India and the US edge closer to a trade agreement -- Rubio described a deal as about as close to signing as it can be -- and days after President Trump waived potential tariffs linked to India's purchases of Russian crude. Energy security, defence and critical technologies were also on the agenda of the talks.