BP defers Australian refinery turnaround to late 2021

MELBOURNE (Reuters) - BP Plc <BP.L> said it will delay a planned turnaround at its Australian refinery to late 2021 from early next year as it cannot bring workers on site to do the preparation work this year due to coronavirus social distancing restrictions.

BP had to reduce the number of people at its 146,000 barrels per day Kwinana refinery in Western Australia, Australia's biggest refinery, to meet social distancing requirements to help combat the coronavirus pandemic.

"The current restrictions on people and activity at the refinery has meant we need to defer pre-turnaround preparations and this in turn will delay the start of the turnaround activity that was scheduled for early 2021," a BP spokesman said in emailed comments.

"We are now planning to complete the turnaround in Q4, 2021," he said.

(Reporting by Sonali Paul; Editing by Himani Sarkar)