TOKYO, June 27 (Reuters) - Showa Shell Sekiyu KK plans to refine 2 percent less crude oil to meet domestic demandbetween July and September, compared with a year earlier,Japan's fifth-largest refiner said in a statement on Thursday.
The company did not disclose a projection of crude refiningfor exports.
Showa Shell said it expects to process 463,000 barrels perday (bpd) for the quarter as it conducts a planned turnaround onthe 135,000 bpd No.3 crude distillation unit at its Yokkaichirefinery.
The volume is in line with a projected decline in domesticdemand, a company spokesman said. The unit was not closed forturnaround last year.
Showa Shell, which is 35 percent owned by Royal Dutch Shell and nearly 15 percent owned by Saudi Aramco, operatesfour group refineries in Japan with combined capacity of 538,000bpd.
