Crude unit shut at big LA area refinery - sources

HOUSTON, May 20 (Reuters) - Chevron Corp (CVX.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) shut a crude unit at its 260,000-barrel-per-day El Segundo, California, refinery this week for planned work, sources familiar with operations said on Tuesday.

A Chevron spokesman was not immediately available for comment, but sources said the smaller of the two crude units at the Los Angeles-area refinery was shut down.

Traders pointed to the shutdown as a reason for an 8.75-cent spike in wholesale prices in the Los Angeles area Tuesday. (Reporting by Erwin Seba)