>> PM cuts ribbon for Dung Quat oil refinery

Dung Quat oil refinery will suspend operations for around two or three weeks, beginning March 23, for equipment checks.

Dung Quat\'s petroleum wharf

Nguyen Hoai Giang, General Director of Binh Son Refining and Petrochemical Co. Ltd (BSR), the facility’s operator, said domestic petroleum supply would be decreased by 400,000 tonnes during the suspension.

According to Giang, BSR has received approval from the Government for the equipment checks to prepare for regular maintenance at the plant between July and September this year.

Traders, who have already signed purchase agreements with Dung Quat were told to seek petroleum sources abroad to offset the deficit during the suspension, he noted.

At present, the plant, located in the central province of Quang Ngai, has around 100,000 tonnes of petroleum in store, he added.

The refinery is currently running at 95% of its capacity. It has refined nearly 10 million tonnes of crude oil into 9 million tonnes various fuels since it began operations last February.