Valero preparing Port Arthur oil refinery for restart after blast, sources say

HOUSTON, March 25 (Reuters) - Valero Energy Corp VLO.M began preparing its 380,000 barrel-per-day (bpd) Port Arthur, Texas, oil refinery for a restart this week after it was shut on Tuesday following an explosion and ensuing fire on Monday night, two people familiar with plant operations said.

Workers were blocking pipelines that feed the damaged 47,000-bpd unit 247 diesel hydrotreater unit early on Wednesday morning, the sources said. The explosion in unit 247 was felt 11 miles (18 km) from the plant, which is located on the east Texas border with Louisiana.