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Malaysia's KBC plans 1Q 2021 bitumen turnaround

  • Märkte: Oil products
  • 07.12.20

The 30,000 b/d Kemaman Bitumen (KBC) refinery in Malaysia, owned by Thai bitumen trading firm Tipco, will have a scheduled turnaround in next year's first quarter.

The KBC refinery, located on peninsular Malaysia's east coast, will be shut from 15 January to 24 February. It can produce around 1.2mn-1.3mn t/yr of bitumen. KBC's output accounts for about 18pc of southeast Asia's bitumen production capacity.

Supply availability is expected to be steady despite the turnaround, as the refinery plans to draw on existing stocks to meet its sales commitments with domestic and regional customers.

Tipco had earlier announced its intention to halt purchases of Venezuelan crude by November this year to avoid the risk of being caught up in US sanctions. The company on 23 November said it had completed the winding down process of buying Venezuelan crude.

Tipco will need to secure alternative sources of crude to run at the refinery, failing which it could see the KBC refinery shutting down for a longer period until the US-led sanctions against Venezuela are lifted. The company said it is evaluating alternative sources of feedstock and expects to continue refinery operations beyond next year's first quarter.


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