Marathon overhauling Galveston Bay Refinery, Texas FCCU, sources say

By Erwin Seba

HOUSTON, Jan 13 (Reuters) - Marathon Petroleum Corp MPC.N is overhauling the gasoline-producing fluidic catalytic cracker 3 (FCC-3) and two hydrotreaters at its 631,000 barrel-per-day (bpd) Galveston Bay Refinery in Texas City, Texas, said people familiar with plant operations.

The 140,000-bpd FCC-3 is scheduled to be shut for up to eight weeks for the overhaul, the sources said.

Marathon spokesperson Jamal Kheiry declined to discuss operations at the refinery.

The 115,000-bpd cat feed hydrotreater and the 60,000-bpd DDU 300 unit, which is an ultra-low sulfur diesel hydrotreater, are also shut for overhauls while FCC-3 is down, the sources said.

FCCs use a fine silica catalyst to convert gas oil into unfinished gasoline. FCC-3 is the Galveston Bay Refinery’s primary cat cracker.

Hydrotreaters use hydrogen to remove sulfur from motor fuels and their feedstocks in compliance with U.S. environmental rules.