(Adds information on crude unit shutdown)
NEW YORK, Aug 13 (Reuters) - BP Plc plans to shutdown a jet hydrotreater at its 413,500 barrel-per-day refineryin Whiting, Indiana in the second week of September for up to 42days of planned maintenance, according to a person familiar withthe plant's operations.
The start date may get moved up, however, due to the recentand unexpected shutdown of the plant's largest crude unit, thesource said Thursday, adding it could be down for up to twomonths as it is repaired.
The company discovered leaks in piping connected to the240,000 bpd crude unit, called Pipestill 12, and shut the unitdown on Saturday.
Currently, repairs are expected to take at least a month,sources have told Reuters. But until the inspections arefinished, it will not be clear how long it will take to repairdamaged piping, sources said on Thursday.
BP continues to run the refinery at about 165,000 bpd or 40percent of its rated capacity as two smaller CDUs remain inoperation.
Pipestill 12 was the centerpiece of a $4 billion refit ofthe refinery to run more sour crude from Alberta's tar sandsfields. The rebuilt Pipestill 12 came online in July 2013.
The company did not immediately respond to requests forcomment. (Reporting by Jessica Resnick-Ault and Jarrett Renshaw; Editingby Jonathan Oatis)