BP's Whiting refinery CDU repairs to take 'a few days'-sources

(Adds details on later flaring)

HOUSTON, Feb 26 (Reuters) - Repairs on the 110,000 barrel per day (bpd) crude distillation unit at BP Plc's Whiting, Indiana, refinery are expected to take "a few days," sources familiar with plant operations said on Thursday.

The CDU, which is the 413,500-bpd refinery's second largest, was shut on Wednesday by a malfunction, the sources said. The refinery's other two CDUs remain in operation.

A BP spokesman declined to discuss operations at the Whiting refinery on Thursday.

The Whiting refinery is one of 12 across the United States where members of the United Steelworkers union are striking in support of a new three-year contract.

The CDU shutdown is the second malfunction at the Whiting refinery this week. On Monday, a compressor malfunctioned in pollution-reduction system for the gasoline-producing fluidic catalytic cracking unit, but sources told Reuters there was no impact to production.

The refinery's safety flare operated for about 10 minutes on Thursday afternoon due to a faulty transmitter, the sources said. (Reporting by Erwin Seba; editing by Chizu Nomiyama and G Crosse)