Shell JV Deer Park gasoline unit overhaul begins

An overhaul at Shell’s Deer Park refinery began on Monday. Shell.us photo.

Deer Park overhaul expected to last to end of October

(Reuters) – Royal Dutch Shell Plc’s joint-venture 285,500 barrel-per-day (bpd) Deer Park, Texas, refinery began a planned overhaul on Monday of the gasoline-producing fluidic catalytic cracking unit, said sources familiar with plant operations.

Shell spokesman Ray Fisher said planned maintenance was being performed at the Deer Park refinery but declined to identify the units involved.

The overhaul of the 70,000-bpd FCCU is expected to last through at least the end of October, the sources said. The Gerbitol unit, which reduces air pollution, and another unit, will also be shut along with the cat cracker.

The Deer Park refinery is a 50-50 joint venture between Shell and Petroleos Mexicanos [PEMX.UL].

(Reporting by Erwin Seba; Editing by Peter Cooney and Chris Reese)