Refinery Status: Valero Assessing Meraux Refinery Alkylation Unit And FCCU Restart

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.

Valero Energy (VLO) on May 10 said the restart of the Meraux, La., refinery alkylation unit and FCCU is being evaluated for cost-effectiveness. The units were shut Jan. 2 of extensive turnaround maintenance.

Restart activities continue at BP's (BP) Cherry Point refinery although the crude unit was shut down on May 9 for adjustments, a person familiar with operaitons at the plant said on May 10. The refinery is on track for mid-May return to service.

A fire on May 9 at Sunoco Inc.'s (SUN) oil refinery in Philadelphia was brought under control and extinguished quickly by the company's on-site emergency response team, the company said. A crude unit in the Girard Point section of the plant was shut due to the fire, a person familiar with Sunoco operations said.

Sinclair Oil Corp.'s refinery in Sinclair, Wyoming, suffered little or no damage in a May 8 incident at the plant's gas-recovery unit that led to the hospitalization of four workers, company spokesman Clint Ensign said in a press release made available on May 9. A local news report described the incident as a flash fire that injured four workers.

Chevron Corp. (CVX) on May 7 said emissions were routed to its El Segundo refinery safety flare system due to an unspecified plant start-up, a report to the CEMA said. The company reported a sulfur recovery unit upset around April 10, but it is unclear whether Monday's restart was connected to that problem.

PBF Energy on May 7 said emissions at its oil refinery in Delaware City, Delaware, are due to planned maintenance currently under way at the facility in a report to local regulators. The release of sulfur dioxide will continue until the work is complete. No further details were provided.

Citgo Petroleum Corp. said a power failure at its oil refinery near Chicago, in Lemont, Ill., on May 7 caused flaring, a report to Illinois Emergency Management Agency said. The report didn't specify what unit or units were affected by the 1:10 a.m. CDT power outage, but said the event was ongoing at the time it was filed, about 25 minutes later.

Marathon Petroleum Corp. (MPC) on May 7 said the process of returning its oil refinery in Texas City, Texas, to normal operations continues following a loss of power over the weekend. The TCEQ filing didn't specify what unit, or units, were affected by the outage.

Pasadena Refining Systems Inc. on May 4 said it will begin rebuilding a coker unit at its oil refinery in Pasadena, Texas, after careful evaluation of the scope of the work needed to repair the damage caused by a fire in December. No other units were damaged by that fire, the company said at that time.

Planned rates have been achieved at Alon USA Energy's (ALJ) 50,000 barrel-a-day refinery in Paramount, Ca., after being down for almost six months, traders and marketers doing business with the company said on May 4. In addition, a hydrocracker at it's Bakersfield, Ca., refinery will be put into restart mode mid-May.

A hydrocracker has been taken out of service for maintenance at Tesoro's (TSO) 166,000 barrel-a-day Golden Eagle refinery in Martinez, Ca,. according to marketers and traders doing business with the company said on May 2. The unit is expected to be out of service for two weeks.

Valero Energy (VLO) on May 1 said a fluid catalytic cracker will be shut for five weeks of maintenance at its 170,000 barrel-a-day McKee refinery in Sunray, Tx., according to company spokesman Bill Day. Gasoline production will be impacted.

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 330.0 Girard Point crude unit shut

PA due to fire on May 9.

MIDWEST

Citgo Lemont, IL 167.0 Power failure on May 7 results

in flaring; its impact on opera-

tions unclear.

GULF COAST

Marathon Texas City 76.0 Refinery returning to normal rate

TX on May 7 following weekend power

outage.

Pasadena Pasadena TX 100.0 Work to rebuild coker unit

Refining damaged in Dec. 2011 fire will

begin, the co. said on May 4.

MIDWEST

ROCKIES

Sinclair Sinclair 80.0 Flash fire on May 8 at gas re-

WY covery unit injures four workers.

The refinery suffered little to

no damage, the co. said.

WEST COAST

BP Ferndale, 230.0 Crude unit shut during restart mid-May

WA activities for "adjustment."

Plant still on track for mid-May

restart following plant-wide shut-

down Feb 17 due to crude unit fire.

Chevron El Segundo 279.0 Flaring on May 7 due to unspe-

CA cified plant start-up. SRU up-

set reported on Apr 10; unclear

if 5/7 start-up is connected.

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.