Aramco, Exxon Said to Plan Maintenance Halt at Samref Refinery

Saudi Aramco and Exxon Mobil Corp. are scheduling the next major maintenance shutdown at their Yanbu refinery in 2013 after completing work there earlier this year, a person with knowledge of the plan said.

The refinery, on Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coast, plans to close for about 45 days starting in February 2013, said the person, who asked not to be named because maintenance schedules are not publicly disclosed. Saudi Aramco Mobil Refinery Co., known as Samref, will boost the reliability of the fluid catalytic cracker as part of the maintenance program, the person said. The FCC helps turn crude oil into gasoline.