(Adds BP no comment, background.)
HOUSTON, Oct 4 (Reuters) - Workers at BP Plc's 405,000 barrel per day (bpd) Whiting, Indiana, refinery wererepairing on Friday the 110,000 bpd Pipestill 11C crudedistillation unit after a sudden breakdown, according to sourcesfamiliar with operations at the refinery.
The work to repair a failed flange is expected to finishsometime next week if no other problems are discovered, thesources said.
A BP spokesman declined to discuss operations at therefinery on Friday.
Energy industry intelligence service Genscape said onThursday that the Pipestill 11C CDU and vacuum distillation unitshut down late on Wednesday night.
Most CDUs have a vacuum unit as part of their configuration.A vacuum unit takes residual crude left over from distillationat atmospheric pressure in the crude unit and distills it invacuum, boost the yield motor fuels from a barrel of oil. But ifthe crude unit is shut, the vacuum unit is usually takenoff-line due to the lack of feed. (Reporting by Erwin Seba; Editing by Gerald E. McCormick)