Repsol halts hydrocracker for 3 months

Spain's Repsol said on Thursday it has halted the hydrocracker at its Puertollano refinery for 3 months due to low refining margins.

Spain's largest oil company is also closing its petrochemical units producing styrene, propylene oxide and glycols at the refinery indefinitely due to the worldwide slump in the industry.

"The cracker was working at minimum levels and production at the petrochemical units had already stopped, so the effect on output will be slight," a Repsol spokesman said.

Repsol does not plan to lay off any of the 90 workers affected by the stoppages, the spokesman said.

Puertollano has the capapcity to refine 70.000 barrels per day of crude.