As per the media reports, its smaller Singapore refinery would be shut down by Exxon Mobile, for its first major maintenance turnaround since 2007.

The time decided for the shutdown is May to June 2010; and it will be in stages such that both crude distillation units in the 296,000 per day Jurong Island refinery can be taken down. Apart from this, secondary units will also be taken.

The sources close to the matter said that no major impact on the market would be seen by the extended planning period for this major shutdown.

An industry source was quoted as saying, "This is a complete turnaround, which means they will take down both the CDUs in the plant. The shutdown is not expected to have any major impact in the products market because it is long planned for and the other refinery is also running."

It should be noted that the facility is the world's fifth largest such complex, together with Exxon's 309,000-bpd refinery on mainland Singapore.

The market sees this as the first major shutdown, after the oil giant took a same turnaround for the same refinery in 2006, and another round of maintenance for the mainland facility in mid-2007.