Formosa to shut Mailiao CDU and cracker for maintenance

28 October 2010 15:45  [Source: ICIS news]

SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Taiwan's Formosa Petrochemical Corp (FPCC) plans to shut down a crude distillation unit (CDU) and a residual fluid catalytic cracker (RFCC) at its 540,000 bbl/day Mailiao refinery in March 2011 for scheduled maintenance, a company source said on Thursday.

FPCC will shut down one 180,000 bbl/day CDU for around 30-35 days, while the 84,000 bbl/day RFCC will be down for around 40-45 days, the source added.

Shutdowns are planned for another 180,000 bbl/day CDU and a second 84,000 bbl/day RFCC unit later in 2011 but no firm dates have been fixed, the source said.

Run rates at the refinery were expected to be between 420,000-480,000 bbl/day in November 2010, the source said, while the RFCCs will be running at around 75-80% of their total capacity of 168,000 bbl/day.

Mailiao refinery crude runs have been reduced since the facility restarted after a fire on 25 July, but have been gradually increased as more units come back on line.

Another 180,000 bbl/day CDU only came back on stream in mid-October but the unit has been operating with a reduced feed of sweet crude rather than the normal diet of sour crude due to the continued shutdown of a 70,000 bbl/day residue desulphurisation unit.

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By: James Dennis
+65 6780 4359

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