Japan Energy boosts capacity of condensate splitter

TOKYO, Oct 15 - Japan Energy Corp, the nation's sixth-biggest oil refiner, said on Thursday it has notified the government that it has increased the capacity of the condensate splitter at its Kashima plant by 3,500 barrels per day (bpd) to 63,500 bpd on rising demand for paraxylene and benzene.

The splitter, which has been shut since Sept. 5 for maintenance, is scheduled to be restarted on Oct. 17. Japanese refiners are required to inform the government when they make changes to existing capacity. The move means Japan Energy, the oil refining unit of Nippon Mining Holdings Inc, has boosted its overall capacity to refine 478,700 barrels of crude oil and condensate per day.

That capacity excludes a new 35,000 barrels-per-day condensate splitter constructed at Japan Energy's 205,200 bpd Mizushima refinery that began trial operations in August.

The splitter is owned by Research Association of Refinery Integration for Group-Operation (RING), a consortium of refiners and chemical firms.

Nippon Mining Holdings and Japan's top refiner Nippon Oil Corp plan to merge next year.