UPDATE 1-BP Cherry Point refinery CDU may be shut 6 weeks -trade

HOUSTON Feb 23 (Reuters) - The only crude distillation unit (CDU) at BP Plc's 225,000 barrel-per-day (bpd) Cherry Point, Washington, refinery may remain shut for repairs for as long as six weeks, West Coast refined products trade sources said on Thursday.

A Feb. 17 fire shut the CDU and coking unit at the refinery. All other production units were idled in the hours following the fire because of the CDU shutdown.

BP spokesman Scott Dean said the company did not have a date for the refinery's return to production.

As of midday, Los Angeles gasoline prices had made slight gains from Wednesday whereas Portland gasoline had retreated.

Branded rack price have not risen since a jump between 15 cents and 20 cents on Tuesday night, said Tim Hamilton, executive director of Washington state's Automotive United Traders Organization, which represents gasoline retailers.

Tuesday's leap raised fears of tighter gasoline supplies in the Pacific Northwest due to the lengthy BP shutdown.

"It looks dead quiet at the moment out here," Hamilton said on Thursday.