HOUSTON, Jan. 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Lyondell Chemical Company (NYSE: LYO) announced today that LYONDELL-CITGO Refining LP (LCR) has restarted its second crude-distillation unit and is operating at 220,000 to 230,000 barrels per day, due to improved availability of both spot and Venezuelan contract crude. Based on currently available information, LCR expects to be able to sustain these rates.

LCR is a joint venture between Lyondell and CITGO Petroleum Corporation.

Lyondell Chemical Company, (www.lyondell.com ), headquartered in Houston, Texas, is a leading producer of propylene oxide (PO), propylene glycol (PG) and other PO derivatives such as butanediol (BDO) and propylene glycol ether (PGE). Lyondell also is the world's number three supplier of toluene diisocyanate (TDI) and a producer of styrene monomer and MTBE as co-products of PO production. Through its 70.5% interest in Equistar Chemicals, LP, Lyondell also is one of the largest producers of ethylene, propylene and polyethylene in North America, as well as a leading producer of polypropylene, ethylene oxide, ethylene glycol, high value-added specialty polymers and polymeric powder. Through its 58.75% interest in LYONDELL-CITGO Refining LP, Lyondell is one of the largest refiners in the United States, processing extra heavy Venezuelan crude oil to produce gasoline, low sulfur diesel and jet fuel.

SOURCE Lyondell Chemical Company