Japan refiner Nansei halts oil refining operations due to typhoon

TOKYO (Reuters) - Nansei Sekiyu KK, a Japanese refiner wholly owned by Brazil's Petrobras , said it suspended oil refining operations at its 100,000 barrels-per-day Nishihara refinery in Okinawa, southwest of Japan, on Monday evening due to an approaching typhoon. All operations at the company's No. 1, 2 and 3 marine berths have been also halted since Monday, while truck terminal operations were also put on hold, a company spokesman said. The restart of oil refining will come following checks on facilities from Wednesday after the typhoon passed, he added. Emergency warnings were issued on Monday to urge people in the country's southern islands to take maximum precautions as a super typhoon described as a "once in decades storm" is set to rake the Okinawa island chain with heavy rain and powerful winds. (Reporting by Osamu Tsukimori; Editing by Richard Pullin)