UPDATE 1-India Oct refinery output grew most since June '08

* Reliance Oct output up 4.8 pct y/y, highest rise in 16 mths

* Crude oil production down 2.2 pct y/y, natgas up 44.2 pct

* Find past stories by clicking on [O/INDIA1] (Adds details)

By Nidhi Verma

NEW DELHI, Nov 25 (Reuters) - Indian refiners processed 7.2 percent more crude oil in October than a year earlier, the biggest rise in 16 months, as most plants ramped up runs to meet growing local and overseas demand, data showed on Wednesday.

Crude processing at Reliance Industries' (RELI.BO: Quote, Profile, Research) 660,000 bpd plant in the western state of Gujarat rose an annual 4.8 percent in October, the strongest growth since June 2008.

Reliance does not provide details of crude runs at its new export-focused 580,000 bpd refinery, located next to the larger plant. Together, they form the world's biggest refining complex.

The private refiner has gradually reopened nearly 63 percent of its retail outlets for local sales besides direct supplies to the state-refiners.

In October, refining margins for simple Asian refiners declined to minus 94 cents from $1.20 in September.<REF/MARGIN1> In its November report, the International Energy Agency raised its 2009 global oil demand estimate from the previous month by 210,000 barrels to 84.8 million barrels per day (bpd), following a strengthening of the world economy. [ID:nLC090947]