<article><p class="lead">Malaysia's state-owned Petronas appears likely to restart its 300,000 b/d Pengerang refinery joint venture with state-controlled Saudi Aramco in the fourth quarter.</p><p>The refinery in southern Malaysia has been shut since a <a href="https://direct.argusmedia.com/newsandanalysis/article/2087253">fire</a> in March 2020. The company initially planned to restart the refinery in the <a href="https://direct.argusmedia.com/newsandanalysis/article/2164253">first quarter of 2021</a> but this was later delayed to the <a href="https://direct.argusmedia.com/NewsAndAnalysis/Article/2190819">second half of this year</a> after the Malaysian government imposed restrictions to curb the spread of Covid-19. </p><p>Petronas has completed maintenance work at the site and is now performing final checks on the facilities, which are likely to start up in the fourth quarter, sources close to the company said. </p><p>Pengerang comprises a 1.29mn t/yr cracker as well as 630,000 t/yr of propylene, 165,000 t/yr of benzene and 180,000 t/yr of butadiene production capacity. Derivatives units include 350,000 t/yr of linear low-density polyethylene, 400,000 t/yr of high-density polyethylene and 900,000 t/yr of polypropylene capacity. Its fluid catalytic cracker is also able to produce up to 730,000 t/yr of propylene. </p><p class="bylines">By Aldric Chew and Toong Shien Lee</p></article>
