Credit: REUTERS/DADO RUVICAdds company spokesperson did not immediately reply, details on refinery restart, overhaul.
Dec 27 (Reuters) - Exxon Mobil Corp XOM.N increased production levels on most units at its 369,024 barrel-per-day (bpd) Beaumont, Texas, refinery by Tuesday, said people familiar with plant operations.
Exxon on Monday began a planned overhaul on the shut 120,000-bpd gasoline-producing fluidic catalytic cracker and 16,000-bpd alkylation unit, the sources said.
An Exxon spokesperson did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
Exxon had reduced production to 90% of the refinery’s capacity by Friday to contend with the effects of severe cold weather due to the passage of Winter Storm Elliott. [nL1N33D1YP}
The 40,000-bpd diesel hydrotreater shut down over the weekend, but has restarted, the sources said.
The FCC and alkylation unit are scheduled to remain shut till early March as part of the planned overhaul.
Exxon is scheduled to start production on a new crude distillation unit that will boost the refinery’s capacity by at least 250,000-bpd in the first quarter of 2023.
FCCs use a fine powder catalyst under high heat and pressure to convert gas oil into unfinished gasoline.
CDUs break down crude oil into feedstocks for all other production units. The Beaumont refinery has two CDUs in operation currently.
Alkylation units convert refining byproducts into octane-boost additives combined with unfinished gasoline.
(Reporting by Erwin Seba; Editing by Kirsten Donovan)
((erwin.seba@thomsonreuters.com; +1 832 746 4269; Reuters Messaging: erwin.seba.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))
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