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.
Valero Energy Corp. (VLO) has begun the process of shutting down
units at its Aruba refinery because of economic reasons, the
company said Thursday.
The company plans to have the entire refinery shut down by the
end of next week, company spokesman Bill Day said. So far, the
refinery has shut one of its two 38,000-barrel-a-day coking units
and a 65,000 barrel-a-day hydrotreater, Day said.
In two to three months, Valero will re-evaluate the economic
situation and determine when it might restart the plant, Day
said.
Valero said Tuesday 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, spokesman
Bill Day said.
Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM) reported to environmental regulators
that on Friday it would begin shutting down the boiler at fluid
catalytic cracking unit No. 3 for planned work at the Baytown,
Texas refinery.
On Wednesday, Exxon said that a snag caused flaring from its
fluid catalytic cracking unit No. 2 at the Baytown, Texas refinery.
"The event had no impact on production and all customer needs were
met," the company said in the filing.
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
Valero Norco, LA 185.0 Crude, vacuum, coker unit shut Jul 5
to restart in 3 weeks following (est.)
June 9 minor fire.
Valero Texas City Power failure disrupts plant
June 27. No impact to production.
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.
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