NEW YORK, Dec 8 (Reuters) - Royal Dutch Shell Plc reported a benzene-type leak from a flange close to ahydrotreater at its 327,000 barrel per day (bpd) Deer Parkrefinery in Texas, according to a filing with the stateregulators.
The leak of "benzene-containing material" was contained on aconcrete pad and a nearby sewer, the filing said.
A second filing with the National Response Center said anunknown amount of benzene had leaked due to a "malfunction" inan unspecified unit.
The plant has several hydrotreater units with capacitiesranging from just 3,500 bpd to 72,000 bpd, according to datafrom industry intelligence group IIR Energy. It was unclear fromthe filing which hydrotreater was at issue.
Hydrotreaters use hydrogen to remove sulfur from fuels.
The Deer Park refinery is 50-50 joint venture between Shelland Pemex, Mexico's national oil company.
(Reporting by Sabina Zawadzki; Editing by Maureen Bavdek)