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Tue 17 Jun 2008, 09:17 GMT

Limited processing capacity at Antwerp refinery


Bunker-producing refinery expected to be in full operation by the end of July.

Petroplus Holdings AG has announced that it continues to maintain limited processing capabilities at its BRC refinery following the fire that occurred on June 9, 2008. Assessments are continuing to determine the extent of the damage on the Visbreaker unit.

The refinery is currently running unaffected units which include the Naphtha and Distillate Hydrotreaters, the Catalytic Reformer, the Isomerization unit and the LPG Recovery unit, which allow the refinery to produce gasoil, heating oil and gasoline components.

All crude distillation has been suspended and is expected to be back up within a few weeks. Based on preliminary assessments, the company currently expects to bring the refinery back to full operation by the end of July. Cash costs for repairs are not expected to be greater than $2 million.

The bunker-producing Antwerp refinery is an atmospheric-vacuum distillation, visbreaking refinery with a throughput capacity of 110,000 barrels per day. One of the key strengths of the BRC refinery is said to be its extensive hydro-desulfurization capacity which enables the refinery to process a predominantly sour crude slate to produce low sulfur, light and middle distillates, including marine fuel, heating oil, gasoline, naphtha, ULSD and vacuum gasoil.

Petroplus Holdings AG is the largest independent refiner and wholesaler of petroleum products in Europe. Petroplus focuses on refining and currently owns and operates seven refineries across Europe: the Coryton refinery on the Thames Estuary in the United Kingdom, the Ingolstadt refinery in Ingolstadt, Germany, the Belgium Refining Company refinery in Antwerp, Belgium, the Petit Couronne refinery in Petit Couronne, France, the Cressier refinery in the canton of Neuchatel, Switzerland, the Reichstett refinery in Alsace, France and the Teesside refinery in Teesside, United Kingdom. The refineries have a combined throughput capacity of approximately 864,000 bpd.

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