By Dow Jones Business News, March 15, 2013, 12:01:00 PM EDT
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.
BP PLC ( BP ) on March 15 reported possible flaring at its oil refinery in Carson, beginning on Sunday for about 11
days. Work to swap a piece of ancillary equipment will complete recent turnaround maintenance at the plant's FCCU. The
unit won't be shut down and no material impact to production is expected, a person familiar with operations at the
refinery said.
Total Petrochemicals ( TOT ) on March 14 reported emissions at its Port Arthur, Texas, refinery due to leaking
exchangers at an alkylation unit's cooling tower, a filing to regulators said. The impact of event on production wasn't
specified.
Valero Energy Corp. ( VLO ) on March 14 said a notice to Calif. regulators was filed in advance of valve work planned at
a propane tank at its Los Angeles-area refinery in Wilmington, beginning on March 15 for five days. The work will have
no material impact to production.
Alon USA Energy Inc. (ALJ) will operate its Big Spring, Texas, and Krotz Springs, La., refineries at reduced rates in
first-quarter 2013 due to maintenance, the company said during its March 6 earnings call. The Big Spring will run about
10,000 barrels-a-day down, at an average 60,000 barrels-a-day, and Krotz Springs with a crude capacity of 83,000
barrels a day, will average approximately 57,000 barrels a day.
Citgo Corp.'sLake Charles, La., refinery has experienced two upsets in as many days, according to two separate
filings to the U.S. National Response Center. On March 13, a compressor at the refinery's Coker One Unit began flaring a
release of hydrogen sulfide, and on March 12 a leak at the B-Reformer Unit released an unknown quantity of distillate
into the atmosphere. The cause of these events were not known. Citgo wasn't available to comment.
Valero Energy Corp. ( VLO ) on March 13 said an early-day electrical upset at its Port Arthur, Texas, refinery had no
material impact to production. All units were in operation the company spokesman said.
Phillips 66 ( PSX ) on March 13 said maintenance at a key gasoline-making unit's wet gas compressor at its Borger,
Texas, refinery has concluded. The planned work got underway on Feb. 27.
Chevron Corp. ( CVX ) on March 11 restarted a major electrical unit at its refinery in Richmond, Calif. The unspecified
unit had been shut down to investigate the cause of the upset, a filing to local environmental regulators said.
Valero on March 11 said the new 57,000 barrels-a-day hydrocracking unit at its Port Arthur, Texas, refinery was shut
for compressor repairs. The same unit had returned to service on March 4 after a five-day unplanned shutdown. A second
45,000 barrels-a-day hydrocracking unit is operating normally, a company spokesman said.
Valero on March 11 said a hydrogen plant upset at its Benicia, Calif., refinery forced the shutdown of a hydrocracking
unit on March 10. A restart timing is not yet available.
Phillips 66 on March 11 said power to its oil refinery in Sweeny, Texas, has been fully restored and the plant is in
the process of restarting after a third-party provided power failure on March 10. It will take several days for the
refinery to reach normal operations, a Phillips 66 spokesman said.
A malfunction at BP-Husky Refining LLC's ( BP ) Toledo-area refinery in Oregon, Ohio, had no impact on production, a
person familiar with operations at the plant said on March 11. The refinery reported emissions due to a problem at the
plant's tail gas thermal oxidizer on March 10 to the U.S. National Response Center.
Shell Oil Co. (RDSA) on March 9 reported flaring because of equipment failure at its joint venture Deer Park Refinery
in Deer Park, Texas. The snag released emissions of acid gas to the plant's safety flare stack. No further information
was provided in the report to local environmental regulators. Separately, Shell said a small fire on March 10 at the
Deer Park Refinery was quickly extinguished. No further detail was provided and the impact to production was unclear.
PBF Energy Inc. ( PBF ) on March 9 reported flaring owing to a release of sulfur dioxide at its Delaware City Refinery
in Delaware. The unit(s) involved in the event wasn't specified in the company's report to local environmental
regulators. Impact to production also unclear.
For more detailed information, search Dow Jones Newswires using the code N/REF.
Operator Refinery Capacity Description Restart
(in 000s
bbl/day)
UNPLANNED
CANADA
CARIBBEAN
EAST COAST
PBF Delaware 190.0 Emissions release and flaring on
Energy City, DE March 9 reported to local envi-
ronmental agency. Unit involved,
and impact to production unclear.
GULF COAST
Citgo Lake Charles 425.0 Coker One Unit flared on March
13 and B-Reformer Unit leak on
March 12 released distillate.
Impact to production unclear.
Phillips Sweeny, TX 247.0 Refinery in restart on March 10 Mar 14-
66 following loss of third-party 16
power earlier the same day.
Power fully restored, the co.
said on March 11; normal ops
will take several days.
Shell Deer Park 327.0 Small fire on March 10 quickly
Oil TX extinguished by on-site first
responders, to co. said. No
further detail provided.
Flaring of acid gas on March
9 due to equipment failure re-
ported to regulators. Impact
on production unclear.
Total Port Arthur 174.0 Emissions reported on March 14
Petro- TX due to leak at alkylation unit's
chemicals cooling tower. Impact unclear.
Valero Port Arthur 292.0 Early day electrical fault on
Energy TX March 13 had no material im-
pact to production. All units
in operation, the co. said.
New hydrocracking unit shut for
compressor repair on March 10.
No restart estimate available.
MIDWEST
BP PLC Oregon, OH 160.0 Equipment malfunction on Mar. 10
at tail gas thermal oxidizer re-
sults in hydrogen sulfide release.
No impact to production, a per-
son familiar with operations said.
ROCKIES
WEST COAST
Chevron Richmond 245.0 Unspecified "major" electrical March 11
CA restarted on March 11 after
tripping offline. The unit had
been shut to investigate the
cause of the upset.
Valero Benicia 132.0 Hydrocracking unit shut due to
Energy CA hydrogen plant upset on March
10, the co. said on March 11.
Restart timing not yet deter-
mined.
PLANNED
CANADA
Husky Saskatchewan Major turnaround to take place Spring
Energy in spring of 2013. Plant-wide 2013
shutdown is planned for in-
spection and equipment repairs.
Valero Quebec 100.0 Plant-wide shutdown for turn- June
Energy around work will begin in April 2013
and continue for nine weeks.
CARIBBEAN
Valero Aruba Refinery will be converted to a
terminal while the company con-
tinues to seek a buyer.
EAST COAST
PBF Delaware 182.2 Work will be done on fluid coker Q4
Energy City, DE during the Q4 2013. 2013
Paulsboro 160.0 Crude unit maintenance in Q4 Q4
NJ 2013. 2013
GULF COAST
Alon Big Spring 70.0 Refinery will operate at about
USA TX 60,000-b/d in 1Q during mainte-
nance.
Alon Krotz Springs 83.0 Refinery will operate at about
USA LA 57,000-b/d in 1Q during mainte-
nance.
Exxon Baytown 560.5 Coker unit undergoing planned
Mobil TX maintenance, the company said
Jan. 16. The start date and
restart timing wasn't provided.
Houston Houston 268.0 A crude and coker unit are in March
Refining TX early stage of shutdown for 2013
turnaround maintenance, the
company said on Feb. 1.
Throughput reduced by
80,000 barrels a day until work
concludes within first quarter.
Phillips Borger, 146.0 Work on Unit 40 FCCU wet gas March 8
TX compressor concluded as of
March 11, as planned, the co.
The planned work started on
Feb. 27.
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