Explosion Forces Shutdown of Valero's Mereaux Refinery in Louisiana, an Industrial Info Market Brief

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Valero shut down its 135,000-barrel-per-day (BBL/d) Meraux, Louisiana, refinery today following an early morning fire and explosion. A worker was injured and taken to a local hospital, according to news media reports.

The extent of the damage caused by the explosion and the length of the offline event were unknown. Valero had been running the refinery at reduced rates since late March due to COVID-19-related issues. The facility is connected by pipeline to the Louisiana Offshore Oil Port (LOOP). It processes between 50% and 80% medium sour crude, with remainder typically light sweet crude, according to the company. See map below.