LONDON, Nov 17 (Reuters) – Royal Dutch Shell (RDSa.L: Quote, Profile, Research,Stock Buzz) is expected to restart oil units at its Pernis refinery in the Netherlands on Tuesday if there are no further delays, trading sources said on Tuesday.
Shell shut three refining units, including one crude distillation unit (CDU), in mid-September for planned maintenance, which was to be completed in early November.
But earlier this month, the trading sources said the restart of the CDU, which can process about 200,000 barrels of crude oil per day, was delayed by two weeks to Nov. 17.
Normally, oil traders consider a one day delay as minor, with little impact on the market.
Shell declined to comment.
The total capacity of Pernis is 412,000 bpd and it is the largest oil refinery in Europe.
A fluid catalytic cracker at Pernis, which was unexpectedly shut in late September for a mechanical problem, would be restarted around the same time, the trading sources said. (Reporting by Ikuko Kao; editing by James Jukwey)
© Thomson Reuters 2008 All rights reserved
