The 80,000 barrels per day (bpd) residue desulphurizer unit (RDS) was closed for unscheduled maintenance on 12 October after a leak was reported.
Formosa’s 540,000bpd Mailiao plant will now be operated at about 96.5% capacity in November following the RDS restart, which otherwise was being operated at a rate of less than 95% during the maintenance period.
The company was also operating its two 84,000bpd residue fluid catalytic crackers (RFCCs) at around 80% of its capacity because of the unplanned maintenance closure of the secondary unit.
Formosa Petroleum company spokesperson was quoted by Reuters as saying that, "We are keeping the operating rates at both RFCCs at about 80 percent of capacity in the meantime because we have run out of feedstock."
The residue desulphurizer unit removes sulfur from fuel and crude oil to produce low sulfur oil which is then used as a raw material in the RFCCs to produce gasoline.
