Eni Restarts Italian Refinery Coking Unit After Fire (Update2)
By Adam L. Freeman and Nidaa BakhshApril 6, 2008 (Bloomberg) — Eni SpA started production from a coking unit at its Gela refinery in Italy following a fire two days ago, according to a company official.
The fire, which was caused by a diesel leak, didn’t result in any injuries, the official said, declining to be identified by name because of company policy.
The Gela refinery in Sicily has a capacity of 100,000 barrels of oil a day, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Cokers convert heavy oils into lighter products such as naphtha, used in gasoline and petrochemicals, and gasoil, a form of heating fuel.
The unit had been operating for a few days following about 20 days of planned maintenance, an Eni official said, confirming an April 4 report by Italian news wire Ansa. On April 1 an explosion occurred in the furnace of a gasoline-making unit at the site, slightly injuring one worker, the official said.
In October, a fire occurred in a petrochemicals plant in Gela because of a compressor leak.
To contact the reporter on this story: Adam L. Freeman in Rome at afreeman5@bloomberg.netNidaa Bakhsh in London at nbakhsh@bloomberg.netLast Updated: April 6, 2009 10:29 EDT
