BEIJING: China Petroleum and Chemical Corp (Sinopec Corp) will soon close a 200,000 barrels-per-day (bpd) crude oil unit at its largest refinery, Zhenhai, for a four-week turnaround, after completing repairs of a 160,000-bpd crude unit, sources said on Friday.
Sinopec, Asia’s largest refiner, shut down the 160,000-bpd crude unit and other secondary facilities from late February for about six-week repairs, slightly later than earlier plans.
“The plant is about to restart the 160,000-bpd CDU, and then it will close the 200,000-bpd unit,” one source said.
“Zhenhai was staggering the maintenance time so as to ensure normal fuel supplies to the market,” added another source who is familiar with plant operations.
After the government raised gasoline and diesel prices on March 20, Sinopec said it would cut ethylene production in five refineries in March to boost oil products output, citing reasons including rising demand, refinery maintenance and weak chemical demand.
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