HOUSTON (Reuters) - Exxon Mobil Corp restarted the crude distillation units (CDUs) at its 369,024-barrel-per-day (bpd) Beaumont, Texas, refinery on Friday, said sources familiar with plant operations.
The 110,000-bpd Crude A CDU restarted on Friday morning and was then followed by the 240,000-bpd Crude B CDU, the sources said. The refinery was shut on Feb. 15 because of extreme cold, the sources said.
Exxon spokesman Jeremy Eikenberry said the Beaumont refinery and chemical plant complex continued to restart.
The refinery’s two reformers, one with a capacity of 80,000 bpd and the other with a capacity of 75,000 bpd, also restarted on Friday, according to the sources. The 40,000-bpd diesel hydrotreater also back online along with sulfur recovery units.
Exxon is bringing up the 120,000-bpd gasoline-producing fluidic catalytic cracker (FCC) and 65,000-bpd hydrocracker, the sources said.
The two CDUs break down crude oil into hydrocarbon feedstocks for all other production units at the refinery.
Reformers make octane-boosting components added to gasoline to make mid- and premium grades.
Hydrotreaters remove sulfur from motor fuels and their feedstocks in compliance with U.S. environmental rules.
Reporting by Erwin Seba; editing by Jonathan Oatis and David Gregorio
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.