BP evacuates Texas refinery workers after threats

HOUSTON, Feb 15 (Reuters) - BP Plc. (BP.L) said on Thursday workers were evacuated from parts of its giant Texas refinery on Wednesday and Thursday after bomb threats were made.

Production at the Texas City, Texas, refinery was not affected, but repair and maintenance work was halted temporarily in those areas, said BP's Neil Chapman.

"It affected work on the plant," Chapman said. "It disrupted the work."

The Texas City refinery has a rated crude processing capacity of 460,000 barrels per day, but has been operating at no more than half that level while repairs are being made to equipment damaged in the shutdown of the plant as Hurricane Rita menaced Texas City in September 2005.

BP informed police in Texas City about the threats and is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of those making the threats, Chapman said.

A report on the Galveston County Daily News said the threats were scrawled in portable toilets on the refinery grounds.

Chapman declined to discuss what security precautions were being taken at the refinery since the threats were made.

The Texas City refinery was the site of a deadly March 23, 2005 blast that killed 15 workers and injured more than 170 other people.