Late August: US downstream update

BP

Due to a contaminated batch of gasoline being distributed from the Whiting refinery, BP have been inundated with 19 000 inquiries and 6500 claims from motorists attempting to recoup the money spent on car repairs. BP have now recalled the gasoline which was distributed to three states including Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin.

California

After the fire at Chevron’s Richmond refinery on 6^th August a report has been commissioned which could lead to the prosecution of the company. As a result of the fire, 4 refinery workers suffered injuries and over 14 000 nearby residents were hospitalised in the subsequent weeks with respiratory problems as well as other medical issues. It is thought that the report and its findings may take over a year to be fully collated and published.

Michigan

Marathon Petroleum is going to shutdown the Detroit refinery for two months as part of a US$ 2.2 billion project. The facility will be offline from 4^th September and will be back online and at full capacity by the end of the year. The work is being done to allow the facility to process heavy crude oil from Canada. No one will be without work at the facility whilst it is offline according to recent reports from Marathon.

Mississippi

Due to a partnership between Chevron Pascagoula refinery and the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce, 12 new cribs have been sent to the Ingalls Avenue Baptist Church Child Care Center. The cribs were donated after a safety guidelines mandate was initiated with regards to drop side cribs. This is the first of 23 donations to child care centres across Jackson County.

Wyoming

A settlement has been made between the US EPA and two subsidiaries of Sinclair Oil Corporation. The settlements will resolve alleged violations of air pollution limits at the Casper and Sinclair refineries during 2008. The penalties to be paid total US$ 3 844 000 and the company will spend an additional US$ 10.5 million on pollution control equipment and other technology to prevent further violations. 

Edited from various sources by Claira Lloyd.

Read the article online at: https://www.hydrocarbonengineering.com/gas-processing/29082012/us_late_august_update/