(Adds timing of restart, paragraph 2.)
HOUSTON, Oct 2 (Reuters) - Royal Dutch Shell Plc's 327,000 barrel per day (bpd) joint-venture Deer Park, Texas,refinery is preparing to restart its 70,000 bpdgasoline-producing fluidic catalytic cracking unit, sourcesfamiliar with refinery operations said on Thursday.
The sole FCCU at the refinery is expected to beginrestarting this weekend and be back in production next week, thesources said. The FCCU was shut on Aug. 18 for repairs after abreakdown.
A Shell spokeswoman declined to discuss operations at theDeer Park refinery, which is a 50-50 joint venture between Shelland Mexico's national oil company, Petroleos Mexicanos (PEMEX).
(Reporting by Erwin Seba; Editing by Meredith Mazzilli and DanGrebler)