FACTS: Which U.S. refineries have shut since the global pandemic, and why?
Since the onset of the global pandemic, the US has lost nearly 1 million barrels per day of oil refining capacity, with more set to be shuttered in the next few years.
These are the plants:1/x
— Laura Sanicola (@LauraSanicola) June 17, 2022
CAPACITY: 263,776 barrel-per-day (bpd)
Lyondell said in April of 2022 that it would permanently shut the refinery by year-end 2023, as it was unable to find a buyer and did not want to invest to keep the facility open.
2/X
CAPACITY: 255,000 bpd
Phillips 66 said in November 2021 that it would not reopen the Alliance refinery, which was shut in mid-August ahead of Hurricane Ida. The 50-year-old refinery was severely damaged by several feet of water
3/x
CAPACITY: 210,000 bpd
Limetree Bay Energy shut its St. Croix refinery due to financial problems in May 2021 after only operating for a few months, due to setbacks and environmental hazards. The refinery had already been idle for a decade.
4/x
CAPACITY: 240,000 bpd
Shell announced in November 2020 it would be shuttering the refinery after attempts to sell the plant between July and October were unsuccessful. The refinery became unprofitable as COVID-19 spread across the US.
5/x
CAPACITY: 161,000 bpd (Martinez); 27,000 bpd (Gallup)
Marathon said in August 2020 that it would permanently close plants due to lower fuel demand.
Martinez should produce 260 mln gallons/yr of renewable diesel starting in 2023.
6/x
Capacity: 120,200 bpd
U.S. refiner Phillips 66 plans to fully convert its Rodeo, California, crude oil refinery into a renewable fuels plant using cooking oil and food wastes beginning in 2024. It will cease processing crude oil.
7/x
Capacity: 52,000 bpd
HollyFrontier said in June 2020 it would convert its Cheyenne refinery into a biofuel plant that would produce 6,000 bpd of renewable diesel. The plant ceased operations the next month.
8/x
Capacity: 135,500 bpd
Calcasieu Refining shut its Lake Charles plant in early August of 2020, according to the Louisiana Department on Environmental Quality, citing demand loss during the pandemic.
9/x
Capacity: 180,000 bpd
PBF Energy shut most fuel units of its Paulsboro plant in November 2020 citing low fuel demand during the coronavirus pandemic. The plant has since restarted some secondary units but cited lack of VGO as inhibitor.
10/10