Crude Unit Shut by a Fire at ExxonMobil’s Refinery in Billings, Montana

The crude distillation unit (CDU) at Exxon Mobil Corp's 61,500 barrel-per-day (bpd) Billings, Montana, refinery was shut on Sunday by a fire in the unit, said sources familiar with plant operations.

All employees at the refinery were accounted for following the blaze, the sources said.

Exxon spokesperson Julie King said units involved in the fire were shut, but did not identify the units.

"Air monitoring in the community showed no adverse readings from the fire. The units involved have been shut down and refinery personnel are working to safely stabilize operations," King said in a statement.

The 58,000-bpd CDU does the primary breakdown of crude oil into feedstocks for all other units at the refinery.

The cause of the fire has not been determined, King said.

(Reporting by Erwin Seba; Editing by Daniel Wallis and Cynthia Osterman)