Hovnesa to shut St Croix gasoline unit in Jan for 6 wks Thursday December 21, 12:59 PM EST NEW YORK, Dec 21 (Reuters) - Hovensa said Thursday its 110,000 barrel per day (bpd) gasoline unit shutdown at its giant St. Croix refinery in the U.S. Virgin Islands will be in January and last six weeks.

The work on the fluid catalytic cracker is the only work is planned at at the plant at that time, the refinery spokesman added.

The St. Croix refinery's crude distillation capacity is 545,000 barrels per day, and it is one of the leading suppliers of gasoline to the New York Harbor market.

The company had in October announced a general turnaround plan for the first quarter.

Hovensa is owned by the Amerada Hess (AHC) and state-owned oil company Petroleos de Venezuela SA (PDVSA).

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-- Martin Thompson (mthom1927@aol.com), December 22, 2000