Exxon Restarting Hydrocracker at Baytown, TX Refinery

Exxon Mobil Corp is restarting the hydrocracker at its 560,500 barrel-per-day (bpd) Baytown, Texas, refinery on Tuesday, said sources familiar with plant operations.

Exxon spokesman Jeremy Eikenberry declined to comment.

The 25,000-bpd hydrocracker was shut by a malfunction on Monday caused by a heavy thunderstorm, the sources said.

Hydrocrackers convert gas oil into diesel and other motor fuels through use of a catalyst under high heat and pressure in the presence of hydrogen.

(Reporting by Erwin Seba; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)