Valero begins restart of Port Arthur, Texas refinery, sources say

By Erwin Seba

HOUSTON, March 25 (Reuters) - Valero Energy Corp VLO.N began restarting its 380,000 barrel-per-day Port Arthur, Texas refinery on Wednesday, two days after an explosion rocked the plant, said people familiar with plant operations.

The refinery's 47,000-bpd unit 243 diesel hydrotreater, which exploded on Monday night, will remain idle for repairs while other units are restarted around it, the sources said.

A Valero spokesperson did not reply to a request for comment on Wednesday night.

The refinery was shut on Monday night as the fire ignited by the explosion raged, the sources said. The refinery lost steam and water during the blaze.

In a notice filed on Tuesday night with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Valero said a release of process fuel ignited.

The hydrotreater uses hydrogen to remove sulfur from hydrocarbons in compliance with U.S. environmental rules.

Fourteen other units were shut at the refinery, according to a TCEQ filing.

Among the units shut are the 210,000-bpd AVU-146 crude distillation unit, the larger of two CDUs that convert crude oil into feedstocks for all other units at the refinery.

The 75,000-bpd fluidic catalytic cracking unit was also shut along with the 16,900-bpd alkylation unit and 50,000-bpd Platformer. The alkylation unit and Platformer use different processes to make additives that boost octane in gasoline.

The diesel-producing 57,000-bpd unit 943 hydrocracker is shut along with the 100,000-bpd unit 843 coker, which converts residual crude oil into motor fuel feedstocks or petroleum coke that can be used as a coal substitute.

Three other hydrotreaters and four sulfur recovery units are shut as is a sat gas recovery unit.

Valero plans to proceed cautiously as it restores production at the idled refinery to avoid the risk of explosions or fires, the sources said.