Tampa:
The fourth-quarter Tampa molten contract price was quoted at $183/lt CFR, a $12/lt decline from the third-quarter’s $195/lt CFR.
Operable U.S. refining capacity moved lower for the week, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported. Utilization was reported at 84.7 percent for the week ending Oct. 15, a 2.0-point slide from 86.7 percent reported previously. The rate led both the year-ago 72.9 percent and the 84.0 percent five-year average.
Daily crude inputs also fell, moving below the 15 million barrel/d mark for the first time since the week ending Sept. 10. Inputs were noted at an average 14.990 million barrels/d for the week, a 71,000 barrel/d decrease from 15.061 million barrels/d in the prior period.
U.S. Gulf:
Genscape reported the Oct. 15 restart of a 220,000 barrel/d crude distillation unit (CDU), a 160,000 barrel/d vacuum distillation unit (VDU), and an 80,000 barrel/d coking unit at the Valero refinery in St. Charles, La. The units were reported shutting on Oct. 9. Valero restarted a sulfur recovery unit and a 38,000 barrel/d VDU at its Houston refinery on Oct. 17.
Genscape on Oct. 18 reported a shutdown of all monitored units at the Valero plant in Port Arthur, Texas, due to a partial loss of electricity and third-party utilities. A 265,000 barrel/d crude section, a smaller 150,000 barrel/d crude section, and a sulfur recovery unit (SRU) were reported on Oct. 21 to have restarted.
Total restarted an 80,000 barrel/d fluidic catalytic cracking unit (FCC) at the company’s Port Arthur facility on Oct. 16. The unit was noted suffering an unplanned shutdown on Sept. 9. A planned turnaround was reportedly underway at the facility’s larger ACU-1 crude section, as well as a sulfur unit.
Marathon on Oct. 16 successfully restarted the 243,000 barrel/d Pipestill 3B crude section at its Galveston Bay, Texas, refinery. The unit, along with the 66,000 barrel/d Ultraformer 4 catalytic reforming unit, were shut on Oct. 12.
Members of the United Steelworkers (USW) local 13-243 union have rejected a six-year contract proposed by the ExxonMobil Corp. refinery at Beaumont, Texas, aimed at ending an ongoing lockout in progress at the plant. Approximately 650 union members were locked out on May 1.
The 369,000 barrel/d plant has continued to operate at a reduced capacity using replacement workers and management. The union will face a decertification vote in November, based on a petition submitted by workers to remove the union from the facility.
Most sulfur market players continued to put Gulf export price ideas in the mid-$190s/mt FOB for the week.
Brazil:
Brazil imports were last reported at $244-$246/mt CFR, steady from the prior report. Recent business reported from the Arab Gulf indicated potential $260/mt CFR values at Brazil, should a deal conclude today.
Contract tons were described at $234/mt CFR for the fourth quarter, a rise from $221-$223/mt CFR in Q3.
Vancouver:
Last-done sulfur vessels loading from Vancouver continued to fall in the $180-$192/mt FOB range, sources said, unmoved from one week earlier. Recent gains at China could translate to firming Vancouver pricing in the next round of business, players said.
Alberta:
Netbacks to suppliers in Alberta continued to be tagged in the $68-$122/mt FOB range.
West Coast:
West Coast solid sulfur ideas were noted in line with Vancouver at $180-$192/mt FOB, unchanged from the prior week. Q4 molten sulfur contracts were reported in the $160-$170/lt FOB range, up from $150-$155/lt FOB in the third quarter.
China:
Last-done spot imports at China continued to be heard at $240-250/mt CFR, steady from one week earlier.
ADNOC:
Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. (ADNOC) prill offers were quoted at $193/mt FOB Ruwais for loading in October. The market was $13/st lower in September, at $180/mt FOB.
Qatar:
Sulfur produced in Qatar and marketed by Muntajat was posted at $192/mt FOB Ras Laffan for October, a rise of $14/mt from the previous month’s $178/mt level.