Tampa:
Second-quarter Tampa molten sulfur agreements were valued at $192/lt CFR, a $96/lt increase from the first-quarter $96/lt level.
U.S. refinery capacity jumped to 91.3 percent for the week ending June 4, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) noted, a 2.6-point increase from the prior-week 88.7 percent. The current-week rate remained ahead of both the year-ago 73.1 percent and the 89.4 percent five-year average, while climbing above the 90 percent mark for the first time since Jan. 17, 2020.
Crude inputs were noted at an average 15.925 million barrels/d for the week, up 328,000 barrels/d from 15.597 million barrels/d at last check.
U.S. Gulf:
Production levels from a 250,000 barrel/d crude section returned to normal at Royal Dutch Shell’s Norco refinery on June 4, Genscape reported. Activity at the unit had been reduced since May 13. A 44,000 barrel/d hydrocracker was taken offline at the site in the early morning of June 9.
Decreased activity was observed from the 95,000 barrel/d DCU-2 coking unit at the Motiva plant in Port Arthur, Texas, on the evening of June 3. The downturn was accompanied by a shutdown of one of the unit’s three furnace stacks. The unit was noted returning to normal operation on June 6.
Valero halted operations on a 25,000 barrel/d fluidic catalytic cracking unit (FCC) and 30,000 barrel/d hydrocracker at its 89,000 barrel/d Three Rivers, Texas, facility on the morning of June 7. Reuters reported a fire at the plant on June 6. A 23,000 barrel/d catalytic reformer was added to the shutdown list on June 7, marking the complete shutdown of all Genscape-monitored units.
Chevron suffered an unplanned FCC stoppage at Pasadena, Texas, on June 1. The 56,000 barrel/d unit remained offline on June 7. The company also took a 23,000 barrel/d catalytic reforming unit offline on June 5.
Decreased activity was observed from a 110,000 barrel/d heavy gas oil hydrotreater at the Marathon refinery in Garyville, La., Genscape indicated on June 8. The unit was reported fully shut down later the same day.
An activity increase was observed from the 30,000 barrel/d Platformer 5 catalytic reformer at Citgo’s Corpus Christi, Texas, plant on June 8, although operations remained shy of normal levels. The reformer and an accompanying 30,000 barrel/d hydrotreater have been offline since May 14.
Gulf sulfur price ideas were noted stretching to a $180-$190/mt FOB range from the week-ago $185-$190/mt FOB, due to firming international freight costs.
Brazil:
Brazil sulfur pricing was quoted at $218-$222/mt CFR, rising from $215-$220/mt CFR one week earlier. Second-quarter contract levels stood at $213-$214/mt CFR.
Vancouver:
Sources noted no change in Vancouver export levels, calling the market in a $178-$180/mt FOB range.
Alberta:
Suncor on June 4 completed a restart of the 82,000 barrel/d CDU at its Edmonton refinery, Genscape noted. The unit had seen rising production levels since June 1, after powering down April 20 as part of a multi-system turnaround.
A sulfur recovery unit was noted restarting at the Suncor plant on May 26, while a 38,000 barrel/d hydrotreater began ramping up on June 6. A 12,000 barrel/d catalytic reformer, 94,000 barrel/d naphtha hydrotreater, and 38,000 barrel/d hydrotreater were noted successfully restarting on June 9. A 17,000 barrel/d coking unit continued to ramp up production on June 9.
Alberta netbacks remained in a $65-$110/mt FOB range for the current reporting period, sources said, steady from the prior report.
West Coast:
Activity decreases were reported on June 8 from an 82,000 barrel/d vacuum distillation unit (VDU) at the Phillips 66 plant in Carson, Calif. Genscape observed similar decreases from the same unit on May 25-29. Early restart efforts on a 55,000 barrel/d gas oil hydrotreater shut since March 20 were reported on June 8.
West Coast prills continued to be heard at $178-$180/mt FOB, sources indicated, unmoved from the prior report. Molten contracts were reported at $140-$155/lt FOB for loading in the second quarter.
China:
Last-done at China continued to fall in a $210-$215/mt CFR range, steady from week-ago levels.
ADNOC:
Sources put June ADNOC offers at $185/mt FOB Ruwais, a $2/mt rise from $183/mt FOB in May.
Qatar:
Muntajat prills were heard at $183/mt FOB Ras Laffan for June, a rollover from the prior-month offer.