Today's Refining Hotline Headlines

North America
BP-Husky Refining LLC continues with repairs at its 160,000-barrel-per-day (BBL/d) Toledo, Ohio, refinery, as it prepares for the effects of Winter Storm Elliot. The facility was shut down due to a fire on September 20. The completion of repairs was previously scheduled for December 23, but the restart will most likely be delayed by the weather.

Phillips 66, on December 19, shut down the 30,000-BBL/d Fluid Catalytic Cracker Unit (FCCU) 40 at its 146,000-BBL/d Borger, Texas, refinery, for 42 days of planned maintenance.

Cross Oil Refining (a Martin Resource Management company), on December 22, will shut down its 7,500-BBL/d Smackover, Arkansas, refinery, due to severe cold weather from Winter Storm Elliot. The plant is expected to be down until early next week when the system has passed through.

International
Kuwait Integrated Petroleum Industries Company (KIPIC) has delayed the commercial startup of the 18,200-BBL/d Naphtha Hydrotreater (NHT) 1, 62,000-BBL/d Diesel Hydrotreater (HDT) 1 and 53,000-BBL/d Kerosene Hydrotreater (KHT) 1 units at its 615,000-BBL/d Mina Al Zour Refinery in Kuwait. The units now are expected to start operations by January 15, 2023. Meanwhile, the 110,000-BBL/d Atmospheric Residue Desulfurization (ARDS) 1 remains on schedule for commercial startup by December 31.

Saudi Aramco has delayed commercial startup of the 54,500-BBL/d Hydrocracker 1 at its 400,000-BBL/d Jazan Refinery in Saudi Arabia. The startup now is tentatively expected by January 4.

Idemitsu Kosan Company Limited, on December 20, was forced to shut down the 18,000-BBL/d Reformer at its 150,000-BBL/d refinery in Hokkaido, Japan, due to a fire at the unit's heat exchanger. Expectations are to complete repairs and restart the unit by January 27; however, no final decision has been made.

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