(Adds company statement; background about work, units)
HOUSTON, Nov 12 (Reuters) - Royal Dutch Shell Plc
is finishing a planned multi-unit overhaul as it begins
restarting the large crude distillation unit (CDU) at its
340,000 barrel-per-day joint-venture Deer Park, Texas, refinery
on Tuesday, said sources familiar with plant operations.
The 270,000 bpd DU-2 CDU was shut on Sept. 23 at the start
of the multi-unit overhaul planned to last for about two months,
the sources said.
Shell spokesman Ray Fisher said planned work was still
underway at the Deer Park refinery, which is a joint-venture
between Shell and Mexico's national oil company Petroleos
Mexicanos.
In addition to DU-2, Shell shut the 92,000 bpd coker, the
67,000 bpd hydrocracker and 40,900 bpd gas oil hydrotreater
along with several other units.
The gas oil hydrotreater restarted on Tuesday. The
hydrocracker is preparing to restart along with DU-2. The coker
will restart along with the CDU or shortly after it, the sources
said.
DU-2 is the larger of two CDUs doing the primary breakdown
of crude oil into hydrocarbon feedstocks for all other
production units at the refinery.
The coker converts residual crude oil from distillation
units into feedstocks for motor fuels or petroleum coke, a coal
substitute. Hydrocrackers use hydrogen under high pressure and
high heat with a catalyst to convert gas oil into motor fuels,
primarily hydrogen.
Hydrotreaters remove sulfur from motor fuels in compliance
with U.S. environmental rules.
(Reporting by Erwin Seba, editing by Louise Heavens and
Marguerita Choy)
