Japan Energy to refine 5 pct more crude in Jan-Mar

TOKYO Dec 28 (Reuters) - Japan Energy Corp, the nation's sixth-biggest oil refiner, said on Monday it plans to raise its crude oil processing volumes for January-March by 5 percent from the same period a year earlier.

Japan Energy, the refining unit of Nippon Mining Holdings Inc 5016.T, plans to refine 5.49 million kilolitres (384,000 barrels per day) of crude oil including condensate in the first quarter of 2010, a company spokesman said.

For the October-December period, Japan Energy estimated its crude refining volume at 5.45 million kl, including condensate, down 12 percent from a year earlier and down from its initial plan of 5.56 million kl. (Reporting by Osamu Tsukimori)