Bangchak plans to import oil products

Bangchak Petroleum announced that it plans to import 100 million liters of oil products per month to make up for product losses arising from equipment damage at its Crude Distillation Unit (CDU) No. 3, which caught fire in the second week of July. Bangchak President Anusorn Sangnimnuan said the fire started at a kerosene stripper in its refinery and oil distribution center located in Bangkok’s Phra Khanong district, but the blaze was quickly brought under control. Industry Minister Pongsvas Svasti ordered the closure of the refinery for 30 days to allow a thorough investigation into the origin of the fire. Anusorn apologized to the affected communities around the refinery and assured them that the company would take responsibility for all damages. (July 10, 2012