S.Korea's GS Caltex shuts heavy oil upgrading unit after fire (updated)

GS Holdings

10/08/2017 06:28

(Adds details of the unit's capacity and background) 
    SEOUL, Aug 10 (Reuters) - GS Caltex, South Korea's 
second-largest oil refinery, said it has shut a heavy oil 
upgrading unit after a fire mishap on Thursday. 
    The blaze, which is now under control, broke out in the 
heavy oil upgrading unit or Vacuum Residue Hydrocracker (VRHCR), 
at GS Caltex's Yeosu refinery, located in southwest of Seoul. 
    GS Caltex has a combined 274,000 barrels-per-day of heavy 
oil upgrading capacity to convert fuel oil into more expensive 
and cleaner fuel such as gasoline and diesel.  
    The fire hit the refiner's 66,000-bpd hydrocracker, the 
spokesman said.   
    No casualties have been reported, the spokesman said, adding 
that the cause and damage to the unit were still being assessed. 
    He said it was too early to tell if there would be any 
impact on the refinery's operations. 
    A week ago, GS Caltex shut its No.2 Aromatics plant after a 
fire occurred at an electrical substation in the refinery.  
 urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL4N1KO2PC 
    GS Caltex, equally owned by GS Energy Corp, a unit of GS 
Holdings  078930.KS  and U.S. oil major Chevron Corp  CVX.N , 
runs a 790,000-bpd refinery in Yeosu.  
 
 (Reporting by Jane Chung; Editing by Joseph Radford and Sherry 
Jacob-Phillips) 
 ((jane.chung@thomsonreuters.com; +82 2 3704 5667; Reuters 
Messaging: jane.chung.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net)) 
 
Keywords: SOUTHKOREA GSCALTEX/FIRE