IIR Top Refining News Today: June 8th 2020

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North America
BP Products is experiencing some minor mechanical issues on the 65,000-BBL/d FCCU 600 at its 490,000-BBL/d Whiting, Indiana, refinery. The FCCU remains online, with expectations to resolve the issues over the next 24 to 48 hours. Additionally, the refinery continues to operate at an approximate 15% reduction due to COVID-19, and currently anticipates resuming normal operations at the end of June.

Valero continues with plans to perform a four- to five-week planned turnaround of the 75,000-BBL/d VGO Hydrocracker, beginning in late June, at its 230,000-BBL/d Saint Charles, Louisiana, refinery. Additionally, the refinery continues to operate at reduced rates, and the 92,000-BBL/d FCCU remains offline due to the COVID-19 pandemic affecting product demand and reducing storage capacity. At this time, the refinery is expected to remain at reduced rates throughout the duration of this event.

Valero on June 5 shut down the 35,000-BBL/d Platformer CCR and 37,000-BBL/d Naphtha HDS Reformer Feed units at its 220,000-BBL/d Bill Greehey Refining Complex in Corpus Christi, Texas. In addition, the 30,000-BBL/d VDU, which was shut down at the end of February, and the 36,000-BBL/d Unicracker, which was shut the end of March, are expected to restart by mid-June.

International
S-Oil Corporation began 58-day planned maintenance work, on June 4, on the 76,000-BBL/d RFCCU 2 and 14,000-BBL/d SF Alky (sulfuric alkylation) Unit 2 at its 669,000-BBL/d Onsan Refinery in South Korea. Expectations are to complete repairs and restart the units by July 31. Separately, the 90,000-BBL/d CDU 1 and 27,000-BBL/d HDS (kero and diesel hydrodesulfurization) Unit 1 will be under maintenance shutdown from August 29 to September 24.

Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) on June 1 resumed full throughput of the RFCCU block and CBDC block at its 417,000-BBL/d Ruwais Refinery 2 (West) in Abu Dhabi. The RFCCU block had been derated by 17% since April 17, while the CBDC block had been derated by 20% since April 20, due to low demand as a result of COVID-19.

BAPCO has rescheduled a 30-day planned turnaround of the North Process Section, FCCU and LSFO complexes at its 267,000-BBL/d Sitrah Refinery in Bahrain due to COVID-19. Previously, the turnaround was scheduled to start on June 1, but is now tentatively expected to begin on September 1. Expectations are to complete the repairs and restart the units by September 30.

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