Shell reschedules Deer Park HCU overhaul due to strike -sources

(Adds FCCU status)

HOUSTON, Feb 16 (Reuters) - Royal Dutch Shell Plc (Xetra: R6C1.DE - news) 's 327,000 barrel per day (bpd) joint-venture refinery in Deer Park, Texas, has rescheduled a planned overhaul on a hydrocracking unit from March to September because of a strike by workers at the refinery, said four sources familiar with Deer Park's plans.

The six-week overhaul on the 67,000 bpd selective hydrocracking unit has been moved from March to September, the sources said. A 45,900 bpd catalytic reformer is also included in the work along with a sulfur recovery unit.

A planned overhaul in the aromatics section of the adjoining chemical plant has also been rescheduled, the sources said.

The Deer Park refinery's 70,000 bpd gasoline-producing fluidic catalytic cracking unit remains shut following a malfunction on Feb. 8, they added.

A Shell (LSE: RDSB.L - news) spokesman was not immediately available to discuss operations at the refinery.

The United Steelworkers union (USW) has called strikes at 11 U.S. plants including the refinery and chemical plant in the Shell Deer Park complex.

The Shell Deer Park refinery is a 50-50 joint venture between Shell and Mexico's national oil company Petroleos Mexicanos (PEMEX).

A hydrocracking unit uses hydrogen under high pressure and heat to make motor fuels like gasoline. A reformer converts refining by-products into gasoline blending components. A sulfur recovery unit extracts sulfur from hydrogen sulfide removed from motor fuels in compliance with U.S. environmental rules. (Reporting by Erwin Seba; Editing by Richard Pullin)