How many of the following are correctly matched as global petrochemical industry hubs? 1. Houston (USA) - Gulf Coast refining and petrochemical complex 2. Rotterdam (Netherlands) - Europe's largest petrochemical hub 3. Jubail (Saudi Arabia) - World's largest industrial city built on petrochemicals 4. Kochi (India) - Major South Asian petrochemical export hub

Explanation

The answer is three because the first three pairings fit the standard geography of the petrochemical industry. Houston sits on the Texas Gulf Coast, where the Houston Ship Channel includes a major industrial and petrochemical complex. Rotterdam is correctly matched because its port area is home to Europe’s largest petrochemical complex, linked with Europoort and Maasvlakte. Jubail is also correctly matched as the world’s largest industrial city built around SABIC and Saudi Aramco petrochemicals. Kochi breaks the set. It has a refinery, but Reliance Industries Limited points instead to Jamnagar as India’s major refining-petrochemical centre and the world’s largest single-site refinery complex.

Why the other options are wrong

• (A) It undercounts the correct matches because Jubail is also correctly identified as a petrochemical-based industrial city, not just Houston and Rotterdam.
• (C) It treats Kochi as a major South Asian petrochemical export hub, whereas Jamnagar, not Kochi, is India’s leading refining-petrochemical centre.
• (D) It misses Rotterdam and Jubail, both of which are established petrochemical industry hubs.

Concept

This tests the location factors and regional clustering of petrochemical industries: ports, refineries, feedstock access and export infrastructure. RAS often asks such hub-based matching questions because they connect world industrial geography with India’s energy and manufacturing map.

Source

• Reliance Industries Limited
• https://comptroller.texas.gov/economy/economic-data/ports/2016/houston.php
• https://www.portofrotterdam.com/sites/default/files/2021-06/factsheet-port-of-rotterdam-building-a-sustainable-port-en-2019.pdf
• https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/world-s-largest-industrial-areas.html

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