Mid December: Americas downstream update

Alberta

After a hydrocarbon leak at the Imperial Oil refinery in Edmonton, it has been reported that no one was harmed. Repair work is now underway and production was not affected during the leak.

Colorado

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has confirmed that the level of chemicals seeping from Suncor Energy’s Denver refinery in to Sand Creek has dropped. The level of contamination is also dissipating rapidly. The EPA are expecting their full report, assessing the situation, to be completed shortly.

Delaware

On Saturday, the Delaware City refinery reported the second release of gas in less than one week. The failure of an electric motor at the facility is thought to be the case of the release of 200 lbs of sulfur dioxide. There was a second release on Sunday that resulted in 1000 lbs of carbon monoxide and 500 lbs of sulfur dioxide to be released.

Louisiana

ConocoPhillips is considering selling its Alliance refinery in Louisiana. The company will sell the facility as part of the major shift going on within the company’s downstream sector. The facility will not be taken offline or processing reduced whilst a buyer is sought.

North Dakota

The EPA has rereleased public notice on the Three Affiliated Tribes refinery and is now seeking further public comment. The facility will produce clean fuels and is to be built within the Fort Berthold Reservation. The facility will process Bakken crude.

Tesoro Corp. has announced plans to increase diesel production at its Mandan refinery. The company are looking toe increase the distillate desulfurisation unit by 5000 bpd to increase diesel production at the facility to 22 000 bpd. Tesoro are looking to invest US$ 35 million in the project and complete it by the end of 2013.

Utah

Tesoro Corp. is going to invest US$ 180 million in to an expansion project at the Salt Lake City refinery. The investment will increase the facility’s capacity by 7%. As part of the expansion project, Tesoro signed a supply agreement with Newfield Exploration Co. The company will provide 18 000 bpd of crude to the Salt Lake City facility over a seven year period staring in 2013.

Venezuela

The delayed coking unit at the Cardon refinery went offline on Tuesday 6^th December. The unit failed due to a fault with a pump. This failure, along with maintenance being carried out at another facility in the Paraguana Refining Centre, means that processing capacity is running at 55%.

Read the article online at: https://www.hydrocarbonengineering.com/gas-processing/12122011/mid_december_americas_downstream_update/