Exxon Baytown, Texas refinery restarts hydrocracker

HOUSTON: ExxonMobil Corp was restarting the 25,000 barrel-per-day (bpd) hydrocracking unit (HCU) at its 560,500 bpd Baytown, Texas, refinery on Friday, sources familiar with plant operations said.

Exxon spokeswoman Charlotte Huffaker declined to discuss the status of individual units at the Baytown refinery, but said the company continued to meet its contractual commitments.

The HCU was shut late on Monday due to a malfunction brought on by cold weather, the sources said.

The hydrocracker converts gas oil into motor fuel, primarily diesel, by processing it under high heat and pressure in the presence of hydrogen and a catalyst.