MOSCOW (MRC) -- Motiva Enterprises completed repairs to the gasoline-producing fluidic catalytic cracking unit (FCCU) at its 603,000 barrel per day (bpd) Port Arthur, Texas, refinery over the weekend, reported Reuters with reference to sources familiar with plant operations.
Motiva may cancel a July 23 shutdown of the 81 Mbpd Fluidic Catalytic Cracking Unit 3 the company began planning after a July 4 malfunction on the unit, the sources said.
Motiva on Thursday began planning the shutdown of the 81 Mbpd gasoline-producing Fluidic Catalytic Cracking Unit 3 (FCCU 3) at its 603 Mbpd Port Arthur, Texas, refinery due to excessive catalyst loss, the sources said.
If Motiva puts off the Monday, July 23 shutdown, it would be the second time this month the refinery has avoided shutting FCCU 3, the sources said.
The problems with catalyst clogging and loss began on Wednesday and Motiva planned to shut the catcracker on Thursday, but was able to keep the unit running at reduced production levels.
While keeping FCCU 3 operating, Motiva also began preparing to take the unit out of production on July 23 for a period that could be measured in weeks.
Within the refinery's FCCU 3, the fine powder catalyst breaks down gas oil into gasoline and other products.
As MRC informed previously, in March 2018, Motiva Enterprises' new Chief Executive Officer Brian Coffman said that no decision had been made on how to spend USD18 billion corporate parent Saudi Aramco has pledged for expansion. Aramco said in May 2017 it wanted to spend USD18 billion in the next five years and was interested in adding petrochemicalproduction capacity. The company's 603,000 barrel per day plant at Port Arthur, Texas, is the largest refinery in the United States.
MRC