Refinery Status: ExxonMobil Montana Refinery Fire Has Little Impact
DOW JONES NEWSWIRES
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.
A Mar. 25 fire at ExxonMobil’s 60,000 barrel-a-day refinery in Billings,
Montana refinery was extinguished in a couple of hours and no injuries were
associated with the incident, according to company spokeswoman Rachael Moore.
Production wasn’t significantly affected, Moore said.
A planned flaring even is scheduled to take place from Mar. 26 through Mar.
29, at BP’s 265,000 barrel-a-day refinery in Carson, Calif., according to the
South Coast Air Quality Management District. It wasn’t know whether the flaring
was related to the current maintenance being performed on a crude and coker unit
at the facility.
Tesoro’s 100,000 barrel-a-day refinery in Wilmington, Calif., submitted a
planned flare event notice to the South Coast Air Quality Management District,
running from the morning of Mar. 25 throuth Mar. 27, according to Tesoro
spokeswoman Tina Barbee. The flaring is associated with unspecified planned
maintenance, Barbee said.
A coker at Flint Hills Resources 290,000 barrel-a-day refinery in Corpus
Christi, Tx., was taken out of service on Mar. 23, to repair a heat exchanger at
the west plant,according to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. In
addition, an attempted alkylation unit restart was aborted.
A fluid catalytic cracker, hydrocracker and hydrotreater are in restart mode
at Motiva’s 285,000 barrel-a-day refinery in Port Arthur, Tx., following an
outage caused by an electrical storm on Tuesday.
A fluid Catalytic Cracker at ConocoPhillip’s 146,000 barrel-a-day refinery in
Borger, Tx., was shut early Mar. 20 for repairs, according to the Texas
Commission On Environmental Quality. A catalyst leak was responsible for the
shut down and the unit is expected to re-start late Mar. 21.
A boiler was shut and flaring ensued for three hours on Mar. 19, at a 67,000
barrel-a-day refinery owned and operated by Alon Israel Oil Company LTD in Big
Spring, Texas, according to a Hazardous Materials Spill Report.
A unit at BP’s 405,000 barrel-a-day refinery in Whiting, Indiana, was briefly
taken off line Mar. 19, according to a filing with the U.S. National Response
Center. The incident caused excess release of sulfur dioxide and hydrogen
sulfide, but was of no force or effect, according to BP spokesman, Scott Dean.
BP will initiate planned flaring at it’s 265,000 barrel-a-day refinery in
Carson, Calif., from Mar. 18 through Mar. 20. In addition a large amount of
hydrogen sulfide has been released due to a leaking valve, according to the
South Coast Air Quality Management District. The crude and coker units taken
down for maintenance on Mar. 13, are expected to be back on line Apr. 15.
The 58,000 barrel-a-day Delek Refinery in Tyler, Tx., owned and operated by
Delek Group LTD, experieneced a mechanical failure at the fluid catalytic
cracking regenerator on Mar. 16. The event caused excess emissions through Mar.
18, according to the Texas Commission On Environmental Quality.
A Mar. 16 fire in a desulfurization unit heater at the 210,000 barrel-a-day
Delaware City Refining Company in Delaware City caused the release of sulfur
dioxide, according to the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and
Environmental Control.
Substantial flaring was evident on Mar. 16 at ConocoPhillip’s 120,000 barrel-
a-day refinery in Rodeo, Calif., according to a California Hazardous Materials
Report. Off and on again flaring has been seen at the refinery since Mar. 14.
A steam leak in a light olefins unit at the Flint Hills Resources Port Arthur,
Tx., facility was still evident on Mar. 16, acording to the Texas Commission on
Environmental Quality. The initial leak was discovered Feb. 16. Repair should be
completed by Mar. 23.
A planned flaring event is taking place at Tesoro’s 110,000 barrel-a-day
refinery in Wilmington, Calif., from Mar. 18 through Mar. 19, according to the
South Coast Air Quality Management District. No firm indication was given as to
which units will be affected.
Sunoco reported flaring at a large hydrotreater in it’s Point Breeze section
of the 335,000 barrel-a-day refinery in Philadelphia on Mar. 16. The duration of
the flaring wasn’t known.
Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM) on March 12 shut a gas compressor unit at a catalytic
hydrodesulfurization unit at its Joliet refinery in Channahon, Ill.
BP PLC’s (BP, BP.LN) Carson, Calif., will begin planned maintenance at a CDU
on March 13, a person familiar with the plant said on March 12. Flaring and
emissions are expected between March 13 and 26, a filing to state environmental
regulators said.
Sunoco Inc. (SUN) shut the 231 hydrotreater and associated compressor in the
Girard Point section of its Philadelphia refining complex for maintenance on
March 7, according to a notification to Philadelphia environmental regulators
made public on March 23. The filing didn’t specify whether the shutdown was
planned or unplanned or how long the maintenance would last.
ConocoPhillips (COP) said flaring and emissions occurred on March 11 during a
shutdown for annual turnaround maintenance at its oil refinery in Ferndale,
Washington, according to a filing to the National Response Center. The report
didn’t specify what unit, or units, will be involved in the turnaround, and
ConocoPhillips only confirmed that work is under way. Traders doing business in
the region said the maintenance is expected to last five to six weeks.
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
Sunoco Philadelphia 335.0 Hydrotreater and compressor
shut for maintenance on Mar 7.
No other details provided.
GULF COAST
Alon Big Spring 67.0 Off-gas compressor shut on Mar N/A
USA TX 3 due to gas-oil hydrotreater
problem.
Citgo Corpus 165.0 Alkylation unit shut on Mar 5 N/A
Christi due to small flange leak.
Exxon Beaumont 344.0 Resuming normal operations after Mar 7
boiler trip during FCCU restart
on Mar 5, the co. said on Mar
7.
Pasadena Pasadena TX 100.0 Coker unit damanged by Dec 10 N/A
Refining fire. Fire contained; no other
units affected, the co. said
on Dec. 12. On Jan 27, the co.
said there was no change since
the Dec. 12 statement; no re-
start timing.
MIDWEST
Exxon Channahon 240.0 Gas compressor unit shut at
Mobil IL catalytic hydrodesulfuriza-
tion unit on Mar 12. No other
details provided.
ROCKIES
WEST COAST
BP Carson, CA 253.0 Hydrocracking unit restarted Mar 7
Mar 1-2 after Feb 24 shutdown.
a person familiar with the plant
said on Mar 7.
BP Ferndale, 230.0 Refinery idled after Feb. 17 End
WA fire at crude unit. Planned April
maintenance advanced; plant
will remain shut through April.
PLANNED
CANADA
Husky Saskatchewan 21-days maintenance set in 1stH
Upgrader first half 2012 at hydrogen 2012
plant, the co. said on Feb 9.
Husky Saskatchewan Major turnaround to take place Spring
Refinery in spring of 2013. Plant-wide 2013
shutdown for inspection and
equipment repairs.
CARIBBEAN
HOVENSA St. Croix 350.0 Refinery shutdown completed, the Feb 21
co. said on Feb. 21. The facility 2012
will be operated as a products
storage terminal.
Valero Aruba 235.0 One of two crude units and one of
two cokers and a visibreaker remain
shuttered due to economics, the Co.
said on Mar 6.
EAST COAST
Conoco Trainer, PA 185.0 Crude processing halted;
operations winding down,
the company said on Sept. 30.
The refinery will be
shuttered in six months if
not sold.
Sunoco Philadelphia 335.0 Refineries up for sale on July
Marcus Hook 190.0 Sept. 6; Marcus Hook shut 2012
Dec. 1 ahead of schedule
due to poor refining econo-
mics. Phila. to shut in July.
GULF COAST
BP Texas City 406.6 FCCU and Alkylation unit routine
TX maintenance that began earlier in
Jan continues, a person familiar
with the refinery said on Feb 8.
Restart estimate not available.
Citgo Corpus 157.0 East Plant crude unit turnaround Jan 31
Christi, TX concluded; plant back at normal
rates, to Co. said on Jan 31.
The maintenance got under way on
Jan 10.
(MORE TO FOLLOW) Dow Jones Newswires 03-26-121215ET Copyright (c) 2012 Dow Jones Company, Inc.
Article source: http://www.nasdaq.com/article/refinery-status-exxonmobil-montana-refinery-fire-has-little-impact-20120326-01033
Short URL: http://refinerynews.com/?p=23119
Posted by