Ecuador’s state-owned Petroecuador has initiated the scheduled shutdown of a crude unit for routine maintenance at its 20,000-b/d Shushufindi refinery in the northeastern Ecuadorian province of Sucumbíos.
An 18-day closure of the 10,000-b/d Crude Unit 1 (R1) began on Oct. 5 for planned maintenance of process equipment in the unit’s atmospheric distillation area, Petroecuador said.
Maintenance works to be carried out during the planned shutdown include:
- Calibration of measuring instruments.
- Steam-leak corrections.
- Maintenance of the aerocooler oven, heat exchangers, and distillation tower vessels.
- Changeout of duct gases from the fractionation tower.
- Cleaning of equipment and containers.
One of the refinery’s two crude processing units, R1 produces base gasoline (heavy naphtha plus light naphtha), Diesel 1 and 2, jet fuel, and reduced crude oil.
R1’s planned shutdown, which occurs every 2 years, comes as part of Petroecuador’s general maintenance program to ensure equipment and instruments that could become worn out during the unit’s scheduled run remain in working order.
Petroecuador said the scheduled shutdown will not impact its ability to provide normal fuel supplies to its customers during the maintenance period.
