Singapore Refining Company expected to shut CDU 3 .
SINGAPORE 1996-08-29
Singapore Refining Company ( SRC ) is expected to shutdown its 60,000 barrel-per-day ( bpd ) crude distillation unit ( CDU ) in September , an industry source said on Thursday .
" They think something is stuck , " the source said . "
But nothing has been decided as they are still waiting for an X-ray machine to determine the problem . "
The source said the problem was discovered during the past month during which time CDU No.3 's production has varied from maximum capacity of 60,000 bpd to as low as 40,000 bpd , depending on the crude being run .
" We are having a lot of problems , " said a source .
An earlier problem with CDU No .
3 arose on July 24 when an industry source said the CDU would be closed down briefly in August for repairs to a heat exchanger .
But by mid-August , a company spokesman said repairs had been carried out without any shutdown .
The 285,000 bpd SRC refinery is co-owned by the Singapore Petroleum Company , British Petrolem and Caltex , the joint-venture of U.S. majors Chevron Corp and Texaco Inc .
-- Singapore Newsroom ( +65-8703086 )