Refinery Status: No Impact From Valero Three Rivers Upset

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 Corp. (VLO) reported an "instrumentation upset" and an issue with the hydrocracker at the Three Rivers, Texas refinery Wednesday. Spokesman Bill Day said there was no material impact to production at the 93,000 barrel-a-day refinery.

A source familiar with the refinery's operations said Motiva Enterprises LLC aims to restart the crude unit of its 325,000 barrel a day expansion at its Port Arthur Texas refinery this weekend. The unit was shut down following a fire Tuesday night. A spokesman for Royal Dutch Shell (RDSA) said Wednesday that the unit suffered no damage and would be restarted quickly.

Phillips 66 (PSX) reported flaring caused by the loss of a wet gas compressor at its Wood River refinery Wednesday in a filing with the Illinois Emergency Management Agency. The refinery, in Roxana, Illinois, has a capacity of 328,000 barrels a day.

Valero Energy Corp. reported a mechanical problem at its Wilmington, Calif. refinery resulted in flaring Dec. 9, but said production was not affected.

Valero Energy Corp. reported an upset at its Port Arthur, Texas refinery Dec. 9, but said there was no material impact to production.

A Phillips 66 (PSX) spokesman said Dec. 10 that recent planned maintenance at the 146,000 barrel-a-day refinery in Borger, Texas had been completed. The company said Dec. 7 that it was shutting down its Unit 29 fluid catalytic cracking unit at its 146,000 barrel-a-day refinery in Borger, Texas. Phillips 66 said it would conduct work on Unit 29 after finishing working on FCCU No. 40, which is now believed to be back online.

Alon USA Energy Inc. (ALJ) reported an upset in the fluid catalytic cracker of its Big Spring, Texas refinery on Dec. 9, according to a report filed with state regulators.

Phillips 66 (PSX) reported in government filings that a compressor seal failed on a cracker unit at its Wood River refinery in Roxana, Ill. on Dec. 8 leading to the release of hydrogen sulfide. A company spokesman declined to comment.

Valero Energy Corp. (VLO) reported flaring associated with starting up the hydrocracker at its Port Arthur, Texas refinery Dec. 7. A company spokesman said the unit will be operational by the end of the month.

Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM) reported in a government filing Dec. 8 that an over pressuring incident at its Baton Rouge refinery resulted in flaring there. The refinery has a capacity of 502,500 barrels a day.

BP PLC (BP, BP.LN) was planning maintenance at its 235,000 barrel-a-day refinery in Carson, Calif., a person familiar with the refinery said Dec. 7. The work on unspecified units would result in four days of flaring starting Dec. 9.

Phillips 66 (PSX) said Dec. 7 that it was shutting down its Unit 29 fluid catalytic cracking unit at its 146,000 barrel-a-day refinery in Borger, Texas. Phillips 66 said it would conduct work on Unit 29 after finishing working on FCCU No. 40, which is now believed to be back online.

CVR Energy Inc. (CVE) reported emissions Dec. 7 stemming from continuing maintenance at its refineries in Coffeyville, Kan., and Wynnewood, Okla., according to a filing with the National Response Center.

Tesoro Corp. (TSO) on Dec. 6 restarted an unspecified unit at its 144,000 barrel-a-day refinery in Martinez, Calif., according to a filing with state regulators.

Citgo Petroleum Corp. reported an upset at an unspecified unit Dec. 2 at its 167,000 barrel-a-day refinery in Lemont, Ill., according to a government filing made public Monday.

Hess Corp. (HES) on Nov. 29 said the process of restarting its 70,000 barrel-a-day refinery in Port Reading, N.J., is under way and production is expected to resume by the end of the week. A power dip on Nov. 27 caused the plant-wide shutdown, but didn't damage any process units.

Shell Oil Company (RDSA) on Nov. 26 said a release of hydrogen sulfide on Nov. 24 at its oil refinery in Martinez, Calif., necessitated reducing feed to an unspecified unit to diminish the emission. A report to the California Emergency Management Agency said a venting pressure relief valve had caused the release. The company wouldn't identify the unit or comment on the status of operations.

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

Hess Port Reading 70.0 Refinery in restart mode on Nov.

Corp. 29 and expected to resume produc-

tion by the end of the week fol-

lowing the Nov. 27 power dip

that shut all process units, the

company said.

Phillips Linden, NJ 238.0 Normal operations resumed on Nov 27

66 Nov. 27, full rates seen by next

week following Oct. 29 shutdown

ahead of Hurricane Sandy.

GULF COAST

Alon Big Spring 67. Problem with blower in FCCU Dec. 9

TX caused flaring.

BP Texas City 450.0 FCCU No. 1 restarted on Nov. Nov. 23

23 after shutting down unplan-

ned the week before - filing.

Motiva Port Arthur 600.0 The 325,000-b/d new CDU could

begin the restart process next

week, the company said Nov. 28.

The expansion unit was shut days

after its late May start-up for

extensive repairs owing to corro-

sive issues. The process could