UPDATE 1-L.A. gasoline spikes on BP refinery upset - trade

HOUSTON, Dec 15 (Reuters) - Los Angeles whole gasoline premiums spiked 14.25 cents per gallon on Monday on word the gasoline-producing fluidic catalytic cracking unit was shut at BP Plc's (BP.L) 265,000 barrel per day Los Angeles-area refinery in Carson, California, traders said.

The 102,500 bpd cat cracker at the Carson refinery was shut on Sunday for unplanned repairs, sources familiar with refinery operations said on Monday.

A BP spokesman declined to discuss operations at the refinery.

Wholesale premiums for December gasoline in the Los Angeles market shot to 15 cents over NYMEX January RBOB gasoline on Monday morning due to the refinery upset.

Gasoline blended to meet California's strict standard for tailpipe emissions traded at a high of 0.75 cent over NYMEX January RBOB on Friday.

On Monday, RBOB was up as much as 7.46 cents at $1.1523 per gallon. At that level the outright price for CARBOB would be up 21.71 cents from Friday.

BP reported flaring because of an equipment breakdown late on Sunday morning, according to a regulatory filing with the South Coast Air Quality Management District.

Market sources said the FCC was rumored to be down for three weeks. Sources familiar with operations at the Carson refinery said the cause of the shutdown was still being determined.

BP was also finishing planned work on a crude unit Monday at the refinery. The unit is scheduled to restart this week, the sources said. (Reporting by Erwin Seba; editing by Jim Marshall)