Today's Refining Hotline Headlines

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North America
Citgo Petroleum remains on schedule to perform three weeks of planned maintenance on the 50,000-BBL/d Fluid Catalytic Cracker Unit (FCCU) B in early February at its 420,000-BBL/d refinery in Westlake (Lake Charles), Louisiana.

Marathon remains on schedule to perform approximately four weeks of planned maintenance on the 104,000-BBL/d FCCU beginning March 11 at its 261,000-BBL/d Los Angeles Carson Refinery in California.

Pemex TRI remains on schedule to perform a 35-day planned turnaround of the 40,000-BBL/d Crude 2 (Primaria 2 Unit RD), 25,000-BBL/d Diesel Hydrotreater HDD U-14 (Diesel), 10,500-BBL/d Isomerization and associated units in February or March at its 243,000-BBL/d Salamanca, Mexico, refinery. The refinery's processing units are currently running at lower rates.

International
Naftan OJSC was forced to temporarily shut down the 20,000-BBL/d Mild Hydrocracker (MHC) Unit at its 285,000-BBL/d Naftan Novopolotsk Refinery in Belarus, after the gas-product mixture caught fire at the outlet of the R-1/1 reactor. The fire has since been extinguished, and the damage is being assessed.

South Refineries Company (SRC) has rescheduled a 30-day planned turnaround of the 70,000-BBL/d Crude Area 1 at its 210,000-BBL/d Basra Refinery in Iraq. The turnaround now is expected to begin on January 10, with the restart expected by February 8. SRC also has rescheduled a 30-day planned turnaround of the 70,000-BBL/d Crude Area 3, which now will begin on January 15, and the restart is expected by March 16.

EP Petroecuador is being forced to shut down all processing units at its 110,000-BBL/d refinery in Esmeraldas, Ecuador in approximately 72 hours due to a shortage of crude oil. The Trans-Ecuadorian Pipeline (SOTE) and OCP pipeline were shut down due to flooding. Although a pipeline bypass is being constructed, the refinery will remain offline for at least two weeks.