Japan’s JX shuts Kashima, Oita aromatics units for turnaround

SINGAPORE (ICIS)–Japan’s JX Nippon Oil and Energy has shut both its Kashima and Oita-based aromatics units from mid-May for scheduled maintenance, a company source said on Wednesday.

Both the reformer and toluene disproportionation (TDP) unit at Kashima will be shut for 45 days, while the 130,000 tonne/year benzene unit in Oita will be shut for a month, the source said.

The Kashima-based TDP plant can produce 70,000 tonnes/year of benzene, while the reformer has a nameplate capacity of 190,000 tonnes/year of benzene and 185,000 tonnes/year toluene, the source added.

These turnarounds are in line with the shutdown of the paraxylene (PX) units, the source said.

Besides that, the Muroran-based aromatics unit, which can produce 120,000 tonnes/year of benzene, 150,000 tonnes/year of toluene and 400,000 tonnes/year of isomer-grade xylene, is still shut since early March for a planned shutdown, the source added.

“We have no spot cargo for June lifting because of a heavy turnaround schedule in June,” he said.