Tampa:
Genscape reported an alkylation unit shutdown at the HollyFrontier Tulsa East refinery on May 28. The shutdown was followed by “significant” cooling. A coking unit located at the Tulsa site’s West plant has been noted offline since Jan. 14.
Tampa molten sulfur contracts were quoted at $192/lt CFR for second-quarter loading, up $96/lt from the previous $96/lt CFR deal.
Refinery utilization moved up for the week ending May 28, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported. Nationwide capacity stood at 88.7 percent for the period, a 1.7-point rise from the prior week’s 87.0 percent rate, and also topping both the year-ago 71.8 percent and the 88.2 percent five-year average.
Crude oil inputs were reported at an average 15.597 million barrels/d for the period, a 358,000 barrel/d increase from 15.239 million barrels/d posted previously.
U.S. Gulf:
Citgo on May 28 successfully restarted a 174,000 barrel/d crude distillation unit (CDU) and 85,000 barrel/d vacuum distillation unit (VDU) at the company’s Corpus Christi, Texas, refinery, Genscape reported.
Shut down on May 24, the units were noted ramping up activity starting on May 27. Decreased activity was observed from a 45,000 barrel/d hydrotreater, while the plant’s 30,000 barrel/d Platformer 5 catalytic reformer has remained shut since May 14. A 30,000 barrel/d naphtha hydrotreater, also halted on May 14, was noted restarting on June 3.
Phillips 66 shut a 34,000 barrel/d catalytic reforming unit at its Lake Charles, La., plant on May 29. The unit restarted on June 3.
Decreased production activity continued to be noted from the 250,000 barrel/d crude section at Shell’s Norco facility on June 2. The section began showing signs of a slowdown on May 13.
Chevron took a 56,000 barrel/d fluidic catalytic cracking unit (FCC) offline at its Pasadena, Texas, plant on June 2. Declining activity was also observed from a 41,000 barrel/d VDU, although that unit remained operational on June 3.
Valero briefly shut a 30,000 barrel/d hydrocracker at its McKee, Texas, refinery on June 1. The unit was restarted early on the morning of June 2, Genscape observed.
Gulf export sulfur price ideas continued to be noted in the $185-$190/mt FOB range, steady from the prior report.
Brazil:
Sources noted price ideas on Brazil spot at $215-$220/mt CFR, unchanged from last report. Contracts were quoted in the $213-$214/mt CFR range for delivery in the second quarter.
Vancouver:
The most recent price ideas for tons exported from Vancouver were quoted firming to $178-$180/mt FOB, up from $170-$180/mt FOB at last report.
Alberta:
A 128,000 barrel/d CDU and 64,000 barrel/d FCC at the Imperial Strathcona refinery were restarted in late May after being shut in mid-April for a planned turnaround, according to Genscape. Decreased activity was noted from the FCC on May 28, while a 21,000 barrel/d catalytic reformer remained offline on May 30. Increasing activity from a 47,000 barrel/d VDU taken offline as part of the turnaround was observed on May 31.
An 82,000 barrel/d CDU taken offline on April 20 during a multiunit turnaround at the Suncor refinery in Edmonton showed increased activity on June 2, although the activity failed to reach fully operable levels. Several additional units remained offline on June 2, including a 17,000 barrel/d coker, a 12,000 barrel/d catalytic reformer, a 94,000 barrel/d naphtha hydrotreater, a 38,000 barrel/d hydrotreater, and a 14,000 barrel/d EDD distillate hydrotreater.
Alberta netbacks were steady at $65-$110/mt FOB, sources said, including both molten tons contracted into the U.S. and prilled material selling internationally through the Vancouver export market.
West Coast:
Genscape noted the conclusion of planned maintenance at BP’s Cherry Point, Wash., plant on May 30. The turnaround, kicked off on March 31, included service to the facility’s 50,000 barrel/d Reformer 1 catalytic reformer and a 55,000 barrel/d hydrocracker.
Activity levels on an 82,000 barrel/d VDU were reported returning to normal at the Phillips refinery in Carson, Calif, on May 29. Decreased activity had been observed since May 25.
Price ideas for solid sulfur loading from the West Coast were on par with Vancouver at $178-$180/mt FOB, rising from $170-$180/mt FOB in the prior report. Second-quarter molten contracts were valued at $140-$155/lt FOB, essentially doubling from $70-$77/lt FOB in the first quarter.
China:
China’s largest refiner, Sinopec, announced an $811 million upgrade to its subsidiary Yangtze Petrochemical Corp. refinery, located in Jiangsu province, Reuters reported. Included in the upgrade plans were the plant’s 60,000 barrel/d residual hydrocracker and 65,000 barrel/d fluidic catalytic cracking unit. The project is scheduled to conclude in 2023.
Sources called the recent China import sulfur market in the $210-$215/mt CFR range, lifting from $210-$212/mt CFR noted previously.
Qatar:
Qatar solid sulfur offers for June rolled over from May at $183/mt FOB Ras Laffan, sources indicated.