Refinery Status: BP Reports Equipment Malfunction, Emissions at Toledo, Ohio, Refinery

By Dow Jones Business News,  March 11, 2013, 10:46:00 AM 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 official and unofficial refining sources and doesn't purport to be a comprehensive list.

BP PLC (BP) on March 10 said a malfunction at a tail gas thermal oxidizer at its Toledo-area refinery in Oregon, Ohio, resulted in emissions of hydrogen sulfide and sulfur dioxide. Impact to production not specified in filing to regulators.

Shell Oil Co. (RDSA) on March 9 reported flaring owing to 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 provided in the report to local environmental regulators.

Phillips 66 ( PSX ) on March 10 said its oil refinery in Sweeny, Texas, was in the process of restarting after power provided by a third was partially restored earlier in the day.

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.

Alon Energy USA ( ALJ ) on March 7 said it continues to evaluate alternatives to improve the profitability of its California refining operations. It is purchasing asphalt to supply the 2013 asphalt season after suspending California operations in November. The company has also applied for a permit to build a new rail line to supply the complex with lighter mid-continent crude oils.

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

Monroe   Trainer       185.0  Refinery will operate at full      March 4
Energy   PA                   capacity this week, Delta's
                              president said on March 4. The
                              refinery had been at reduced
                              rates since starting up in Sept.

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    Corpus        165.0  Refinery at normal operating rate  March 4
         Christi, TX          following maintenance at East and
                              West Plants on March 3 and 4, the
                              company said on March 4.

Phillips Sweeny, TX    247.0  Refinery in restart on March 10    March 10
66                            following loss of third-party
                              power earlier the same day.

Shell    Deer Park     327.0  Flaring of acid gas on March 9
Oil      TX                   caused by equipment failure, a
                              report to local regulators said.
                              Impact to production unclear.


MIDWEST

BP PLC   Oregon, OH    160.0  Equipment malfunction on Mar. 10
                              at tail gas thermal oxidizer re-
                              sults in hydrogen sulfide release.
                              Operators shut sulfur (unit) a
                              filing to regulators said.

ROCKIES

WEST COAST

Tesoro   Martinez      166.0  Refinery resuming normal opera-    Mar. 6
         CA                   tions, the co. said on March 6
                              following glitch the day before.


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

Hess     Port Reading   70.0  FCCU facility closed at end-       Feb
Corp.    NJ                   Feb, as the company exits
                              the refining business.

Phila-   Philadel-     330.0  Alkylation unit 433 at Girard
delphia  ia, PA               Point reshuttered Mar. 5 after
                              Mar. 3 restart which followed
                              about 2 weeks of planned main-
                              tenance.
                              Reformer 1332 at Girard Point                               restarted
                              and hydrodesulfurization unit
                              859 back in service on Mar. 5
                              following Feb. 8 shutdown for
                              859 and Jan 18 shutdown for
                              1332 for planned maintenance.

Sunoco   Marcus Hook   190.0  Plant shuttered in December 2011
                              due to poor refining economics
                              will be reopened to process
                              Marcellus shale, the company said.

PBF      Delaware      182.2  Work will be done on fluid coker   Q4
Energy   City, DE             during the Q4 2013.                2013

         Paulsoboro    160.0  Crude unit maintenance in Q4       Q4
         NJ                   2013.                              2013


GULF COAST

Alon     Big Spring     70.0  10 days of work will begin in      February
USA      TX                   February to repair vacuum tower.
                              Diesel hydrotreater catalyst
                              replacement and reformer cata-
                              lyst regeneration will take
                              place at the same time, the
                              company said on Jan. 29.

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.

Motiva   Port Arthur   600.0  Refinery fully operational and
         TX                   running at planned rates, the
                              co. said on March 6.

Phillips Borger,       146.0  Work on wet gas compressor of      March 8
         TX                   Unit 40 FCC started Feb. 27 ex-
                              tended through March 11.

Valero   Corpus        200.0  Work continues at FCCU shut        March 1
         Christi, TX          Jan. 18 for six weeks turn-
                              around maintenance, the co.
                              said on March 6.

Valero   Sunray   TX   170.0  Five weeks of work on the crude    May
McKee                         unit to begin in April, the co.    2013
                              said on Jan. 29. Work was origi-
                              nally set to begin in March for
                              four weeks.

Valero   Norco         185.0  Hydrocracker project will          1st Qtr
         LA                   finish in first quarter of 2013    2013
                              and start operating in the
                              second quarter, the company said
                              on Oct. 10.

Valero   Texas City    245.0  FCCU ramping towards normal rate   March 6
         TX                   the co. said Mar 6 following 8
                              weeks of turnaround maintenance.

Western  El Paso       122.0  Company will perform turnaround
         TX                   on north side of refinery
                              starting in February.

MIDWEST

BP       Whiting       336.0  Largest of three CDUs shut for     Mid-2013
         IN                   replacement, the company said
                              on Oct. 31 as part of major
                              expansion project. Completion on
                              track for second-half 2013.

Husky    Lima          160.0  45 days of major turnaround
                              scheduled in 2014; 70% of units
                              involved. Remaining 30% will
                              undergo major turnaround in 2015,
                              the company said Feb. 9.

Phillips Wood River   328.0   Unspecified scheduled maintenance
66       IL                   caused flaring Feb. 25.

ROCKIES

WEST COAST

Alon     Bakersfield   94.0   Co. purchasing asphalt to supply
Calif.   Long Beach           2013 asphalt season. Refining
Complex  Paramount            complex operations still sus-
                              pended. Seeking permit to build
                              rail line to supply mid-continent
                              crude.

BP       Carson        266.0  FCCU and Alkylation in restart     March 4
         CA                   mode on March 4, a person fam-
                              iliar with the plant said. The
                              units were shut Jan. 6 for what
                              was expected to be six weeks of

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Referenced Stocks: ALJ, CVX, DAL, HES, PBF,



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