The following table lists unplanned and planned production
outages at U.S. refineries as reported by Dow Jones Newswires. The
information is compiled from both official and unofficial refining
sources and doesn't purport to be a comprehensive list.
Most recently, Total Petrochemicals USA (TOT) Monday began the
process of restarting a key gasoline-making unit at its Port
Arthur, Texas, refinery. The unit was shuttered owing to a main air
blower malfunction; the filing to state regulators did not say when
the shutdown occurred.
Alon USA's (ALJ) Big Spring, Texas refinery experienced a power
interruption Saturday that resulted in emissions from multiple
process units. The filing to state regulators said adjustments to
processes and equipment were made to maintain operation and
minimize emissions; the impact on production is not clear.
BP (BP) Sunday warned of planned flaring due to on-going routine
maintenance at its Carson, California, refinery. The work is not
affecting production at the plant, sources familiar with operations
said.
Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM) on July 10 reported to environmental
regulators that it would begin shutting down a boiler at fluid
catalytic cracking unit No. 3 for planned work at the Baytown,
Texas refinery. Emissions associated with the shutdown were
expected to continue until July 12. The shutdown "should have no
impact on supplies and all customer needs should be met," the
company said in the filing.
On July 8, Exxon said that a snag caused flaring from its fluid
catalytic cracking unit No. 2 at the Baytown, Texas refinery. That
event had no impact on production and all customer needs were met,"
according to a separate filing to state regulators.
Valero Energy Corp. (VLO) has begun a plant-wide shutdown at its
Aruba refinery for economic reasons, the company said on July 9;
the process is expected to conclude by the end of the week a
company spokesman said. The economic situation will be re-evaluated
in two to three months when Valero might restart the plant.
Valero on July 7 said that the crude and fluid catalytic
cracking units at its Ardmore, Okla. refinery still aren't
producing any product following a Saturday night power outage and
fire. The fire was put out, but the hydrotreater is still shut
down, a company spokesman said.
Exxon started work on a hydrogen unit as part of a sulfur
recovery unit Tuesday at its Torrance, Calif. refinery, the company
said. The work has already caused flaring and should last for a
weeks, according to a company spokeswoman.
Marathon Corp.'s (MRO) St. Paul, Minn., refinery experienced a
power blip Friday, the company said Monday. Shortly after the
outage, the refinery resumed normal operations, company spokesman
Robert Calmus said.
Last week, a California judge halted the expansion at Chevron
Corp.'s (CVX) Richmond, Calif., refinery. The court ordered Chevron
to halt any project-related activity until the city of Richmond has
had a chance to reconsider its approval of an environmental review
of the project and ensure that the review meets state environmental
regulations. The order issued last week gives Chevron 60 days to
"demobilize" workers and equipment from the construction site.
For more detailed information, search Dow Jones Newswires using
the code N/REF.
Operator Refinery Capacity Description Restart
(in 000s
bbl/day)
UNPLANNED
CANADA
EAST COAST
CARIBBEAN
GULF COAST
Delek Tyler, TX 58.0 SCOT unit shut June 9 July 14
for approximately four
days of unplanned work.
Bad weather upsets units
June 29
Exxon Baytown, TX 567.0 FCCU #3 boiler shut
for planned work July 10
FCCU #2 hits snag July 8
Total Port Arthur, 232.0 Unit 835, an FCCU, restarted Jul 14
Texas Jul 13 following a main air
blower malfunction; it is
unclear when the snag occurred.
Valero Norco, LA 185.0 Crude, vacuum, coker unit shut Jul 5
to restart in 3 weeks following (est.)
June 9 minor fire.
MIDWEST
Marathon St. Paul 74.0 Power blip disrupts refinery July 3
MN briefly July 3.
ROCKY MOUNTAINS
Valero Ardmore 87.4 July 4 Fire puts crude, fccu n/a
on circulation. Hydrotreater
shut
WEST COAST
Alon Paramount, 53.0 Naphtha hydrotreater Early
CA shut April 23 due to an July
explosion will take 10
weeks to restart, the
co. said on May 7. The
refinery has been at re-
duced rates since Apr. 23.
PetroStar Valdez, AK 48.0 Refinery shut due to Dec. Jun/Jul
28 fire; expected to re- 2010
start in June/July 2010.
PLANNED
CANADA
CARIBBEAN
Valero Aruba 235.0 The refinery is being shut Sep/Oct
for economic reasons. All
units to be down by end July
17. Restart will be re-
evaluated in two to three
months.
EAST COAST
Sunoco Philadelphia, 340.0 Reformer unit shut in Girard n/a
PA Point section in early Oct.
for economic reasons. Shutdown
to last one to six months.
GULF COAST
Chevron Pascagoula, 330.0 Pre-commercial heavy oil 2010
Miss. conversion project delayed
from 2008 to 2010 due to
economic factors.
Flint Corpus 288.1 West Plant Coking Unit in re-
Hills Christi, TX start mode on June 3; unit
shut June 1 for planned
maintenance.
$250 mil. project for new Spr
diesel desulfurization, 2010
sulfur recovery unit to begin
in Fall 2008. Construction
to last 18 months.
Marathon Garyville 245.0 Project to increase crude oil 4Q
LA refining capacity by 180,000- 2009
b/d 85% complete, the Co. said
on Apr. 30. New units expected
start up in 4th-quarter, 2009.
Motiva Port Arthur 285.0 Expansion project to increase 1st-Q
TX throughput capacity by 325,000 2012
b/d, to 610,000-b/d, slowed.
Completion now seen in 1st-
quarter 2012, from 2010.
Valero Corpus 340.0 Coker Unit shutdown for econo- n/a
Christi, TX mic reasons and planned work;
delayed to June 19 from June
12. The 20,000-b/d unit will
remain off-line through July
but could restart at any time
if margins improve, the Co.
said.
20,000-b/d FCCU in East n/a
Plant shut; West Plant
50,000-b/d FCCU at reduced
rates since mid-Dec. for
economic reasons.
Valero Norco, LA 250.0 Upgrade project to build 2012
a new diesel hydrotreater
unit moved from 2010 to
4th-quarter 2012, the Co.
said on Jan. 27.
Valero Port Arthur 325.0 77,000-b/d FCCU at reduced n/a
TX rates since mid-Dec. for
economic reasons. Mainte-
is planned at a hydrotreater
unit, the company said on
April 17; no details were
given.
Valero Norco, LA Turnaround at coker unit 1/Q
delayed until the first 2010
quarter of 2010 from fourth
quarter 2009, the Co. said
on Apr. 28.
Valero Sunray, TX 170.0 55,000-b/d FCCU at reduced n/a
rates since mid-Dec. for
economic reasons.
Valero Three Rivers 95.0 24,000-b/d FCCU at reduced n/a
TX rates since mid-Dec. for
economic reasons.
Plant-wide 24-day turnaround Sep
to begin in Sept., the Co.
said on Apr. 28.
WRB Borger, TX 152.0 Gas Oil Hydrodesulfurization Jun
unit will be restart some 6-14
time between June 6 and 14.
It is unclear when then unit
was taken out of service.
Planned maintenance at Unit Jul 12
29 FCCU electrostatic precipi-
tators starts May 31. Work
will conclude on July 12.
MID-WEST
Frontier El Dorado 130.0 A coker turnaround and expan- Mid-
KS sion project was delayed until Aug.
Mid-July, and subsequently
delayed until August.
Valero Memphis, TN 195.0 FCCU upgrade originally slated 2012
for completion in 2009 has been
shifted to 2012, the Co. said
on Jan. 27.
ROCKY MOUNTAINS
Conoco Billings, 61.0 On Mar. 5 the Co. delayed for Jan.
MT one year an expansion project 2010
which will increase capacity
to 71,000 bbls. Construction of
a new crude unit is now scheduled
to begin in January 2010.
Frontier Cheyenne 52.0 The refinery is operating at n/a
WY reduced rates for economic
reasons.
WEST COAST
Alon Paramount 55.0 Hydrocracker project post-
CA poned indefinitely, the Co.
said on Feb. 4
Chevron Richmond, 243.0 Hydrocracking Unit and re- Jun 27
CA former shut May 28 for 30-
days planned maintenance.
Judge halts construction on
expansion project July 1.
Exxon Torrance 155.0 Maintenance will begin in July July
Mobil at one of two 26,000-b/d coker
units, traders said on May 22.
Work began July 7, on SRU
Hydrogen Unit. Will last
few weeks
Flint North Pole 210.0 One of three processing n/a
Hills AK units has been shut due
to low jet fuel demand,
the co. confirmed on Mar.
19.
Shell Martinez 155.0 Crude Unit and Coker Unit Aug 15
CA to shut for planned main-
tenance on July 10; re-
start seen Aug. 15.
Tesoro Wilmington, 97.0 39-days of turnaround main-
CA tenance is planned for
fourth-quarter 2009.
Tesoro Wilmington, 97.0 39-days of turnaround main-
CA tenance is planned for
fourth-quarter 2009.
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