Shutdowns and new crackers keep China's refineries at peak rates

04-Mar-05

Most of China's major oil refineries are keeping operating rates at record levels in March, to cover for production losses due to shutdowns at other plants and to meet rising seasonal demand A series of scheduled turnarounds coupled with start-up of two new naphtha crackers, have been the driving force for the high rate of production at the major refineries : Zhenhai, Jinling and Shanghai Gaoqiao , since January, as against last year. New naphtha crackers are scheduled due to start operations in the coming months. The two petrochemical complexes, with a combined annual ethylene capacity of 1.5 million tons, would require fresh naphtha supply of 2.7 million tpa.