SK Energy reports explosion at Ulsan hydrotreater

SK Energy , South Korea’s largest refiner by capacity, said an explosion hit a 45,000 barrel per day (bpd) hydrotreater at its Ulsan refinery, killing one worker and injuring six. The unit was still operating despite the blast, company spokesman Chung Tae-Hoon told Reuters. The blast, traders said, did not affect operations at its naphtha crackers. Still, it will have some impact on its vacuum residue desulphurising unit (VRDS), which cracks fuel oil into distillates. (December 21, 2010)