Conoco may drop some refinery expansion plans

SAN DIEGO, March 12 (Reuters) - ConocoPhillips (COP.N: Quote, Profile, Research) may scrap some refinery expansion plans unless the economics of the sector improve but is moving ahead with two other projects, the head of the U.S. company's refining operations said on Wednesday.

The company still plans to complete the expansion of Conoco's Rodeo California plant by fall of 2009, which will add 7 percent to the 135,000-barrel-per-day refinery's capacity, Lawrence Ziemba told reporters.

The expansion of the Wood River, Illinois, refinery will be completed by 2010, he added. (Reporting by Rebekah Kebede)