Saudi's PetroRabigh to shut ethane cracker for 21 days

Saudi Arabia's Rabigh Refining and Petrochemical Co (PetroRabigh) will shut its ethane cracker for 21 days effective from Nov. 14 for maintenance, the company said in a bourse filing on Sunday.

The suspension, which aims to improve the plant's safety and efficiency, will impact the firm's fourth-quarter earnings by around 375 million riyals ($100 million), the statement added.

It is the second time in recent months that the firm, a joint venture between Saudi Aramco <IPO-ARMO.SE> and Japan's Sumitomo Chemical, has shut the unit.

PetroRabigh shut the cracker down as a precaution on June 23 to work on damage to one of the unit's turbines, restarting it on July 14.

(Reporting by Celine Aswad; Writing by David French; Editing by Andrew Torchia)