Exxon Baytown Refinery Output Reduced After Fire

Exxon Mobil Corp. reports that its 560,500-barrel-per-day Baytown refinery in Texas continues to operate at reduced rates following a Dec. 23 fire in a unit.

The four contractors injured in the incident have been discharged from the hospital.

The Baytown plant manager posted on Twitter that a full investigation into the cause of the incident may "take some time to conclude." While a company spokesperson reported the unit involved in the fire remained shut, while other units were operating at reduced rates.

According to the spokesperson, the causes of the incident have not yet been determined but stressed the plant continued to meet contractual commitments.

The fire occurred in a hydrotreater unit at the refinery that had been shut due to a bypass line leak. The injured contractors were repairing the leak when the incident occurred.Hydrotreaters remove sulfur and other contaminants in producing diesel, gasoline and jet fuel.

Exxon Mobil's Baytown facility is home to a chemical plant, an olefins plant and the country's fourth-biggest oil refinery.