Nippon Oil reveals shutdown plans for 2008/2009

07 March 2008 10:27  [Source: ICIS news]

SINGAPORE (ICIS news)--Nippon Oil plans to shut down units at five of its refineries in Japan for maintenance in 2008, and two other refineries are scheduled to undergo shutdowns in 2009, a source close to the company said on Friday.

Four of the refineries affected by shutdowns in 2008 are operated by Nippon Oil’s direct refining subsidiary Nippon Petroleum Refining (NPRC).

The other shutdown will affect subsidiary Nihonkai Oil, which will see a full 38-day turnaround at its 60,000 bbl/day Toyama refinery, on the northwest coast of Honshu, from 14 May.

As regards the NPRC shutdowns, the source said there would be a full turnaround from 15 March at the 127,000 bbl/day Marifu refinery in western Honshu; the crude distillation unit (CDU) and the vacuum distillation unit (VDU) would be shut down for 40 days, while a fluidised catalytic cracker (FCC) would be shut down for 37 days and a continuous catalytic reformer (CCR) for 46 days of maintenance.

The facility previously went offline in April-May 2007 for scheduled repairs.

At the company’s largest refinery, the 340,000 bbl/day Negishi facility in Tokyo Bay, a 41,000 bbl/day FCC will be shut down from 27 April for 50 days of maintenance.

Later on 3 May a 70,000 bbl/day CDU and a 45,000 bbl/day VDU will be shut down for 50 days.

A month later in June, there will be a full 30-day shutdown of the 145,000 bbl/day Sendai refinery in northern Honshu, which last underwent a full shutdown in June-July 2006.

For 30 days from mid-September to mid-October 2008, NPRC will also shut down its 140,000 bbl/day CDU No 3 line and a 13,000 bbl/day hydrocracker at its 250,000 bbl/day Mizushima refinery.

A 40,000 bbl/day gas oil hydrodesulphurisation unit and a 45,000 bbl/day residue hydrodesulphurisation unit in Mizushima will also undergo a turnaround at the same time. 

The following year, in May 2009, NPRC has planned a full month-long shutdown at its 180,000 bbl/day Muroran refinery in Hokkaido and in June of the same year its 115,000 bbl/day Osaka refinery is also set to undergo a turnaround.

By: James Dennis
+65 6780 4359

For the latest chemical news, data and analysis that directly impacts your business sign up for a free trial to ICIS news - the breaking online news service for the global chemical industry.

Get the facts and analysis behind the headlines from our market leading weekly magazine: sign up to a free trial to ICIS Chemical Business.

Printer Friendly