Shell says its Dutch petchem plant going down, maintenance not yet confirmed

LONDON:* Royal Dutch Shell said its Moerdijk petrochemical plant in the Netherlands was shutting down, but a planned maintenance turnaround at the site was not yet confirmed.

* A spokeswoman for the oil major said Shell was "carefully optimistic" at this point about the lower olefins unit shutting down "which will hopefully lead to the turnaround at some point soon".

* Workers have been on strike at the Moerdijk plant and the nearby 404,000 barrel per day Pernis oil refinery, Europe's largest, since April 8.