Tampa:
Marathon successfully restarted the 99,000 barrel/d fluidic catalytic cracking unit (FCC) at the company’s Catlettsburg, Ky., refinery on Nov. 19, Genscape reported, after increased activity had been underway since Nov. 13. The unit was taken offline for planned work on Oct. 10.
Molten sulfur delivered to Tampa was contracted at $183/lt CFR for the fourth quarter, a $12/lt decline from $195/lt CFR in the prior period.
Due to the holiday-shortened week, updated refinery utilization data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) was not available at press time. Nationwide capacity was tagged at 87.9 percent for the week ending Nov. 12, while crude inputs averaged 15.397 million barrels/d through the period.
U.S. Gulf:
Genscape reported the Nov. 18 restart of an 88,000 barrel/d FCC and a 12,000 barrel/d hydrotreater at the Motiva refinery in Port Arthur, Texas. Both units had been offline since Oct. 19 for unplanned repairs. The plant’s 105,000 barrel/d HCU-2 hydrocracker was noted shutting down on Nov. 20 during a process upset. Activity at the unit began ramping up on Nov. 21, ahead of a successful restart on Nov. 22.
The Chevron Corp. refinery at Pascagoula, Miss., restarted a 151,000 barrel/d VDU on Nov. 21. The unit was reported going offline on Nov. 13.
Marathon experienced the shutdown of a 72,000 barrel/d crude distillation unit (CDU) and a 17,000 barrel/d vacuum distillation unit (VDU) at its refining facility in El Paso, Texas, on Nov. 19. Both components were successfully restarted on Nov. 20. The units were previously restarted on Nov. 17 after being knocked offline on Nov. 13 during a power outage.
Gulf export pricing continued to be reported in the $200-$210/mt FOB range, unmoved from the prior week. Most players said they expected the market to firm to the $230s-$240s/mt FOB in the next round of business.
Brazil:
Recent Brazil import pricing was reported in the $279-$290/mt CFR range, steady from one week earlier. Brazil fourth-quarter contracts firmed to $234/mt CFR, rising from $221-$223/mt CFR in the prior period.
Vancouver:
Last-done pricing out of Vancouver continued to be heard at $200-$205/mt FOB, steady from the prior report. Sources voiced expectations of a sizable increase in the next round of trading.
Alberta:
Molten and prilled sulfur loading from Alberta were understood to net back $68-$135/mt FOB to suppliers.
West Coast:
West Coast solid sulfur pricing continued to be indicated at $200-$205/mt FOB. Molten sulfur contracts for the fourth quarter were called $160-$170/lt FOB, rising from $150-$155/lt FOB in Q3.
China:
Sources reported last-done China spot pricing in the $263-$265/mt CFR range, unmoved from the previous week.
ADNOC:
Solid sulfur offers from the Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. were reported at $230/mt FOB Ruwais for loading in November. The market was previously quoted at $193/mt FOB, $37/mt below the current-month level.
Qatar:
November prill offers were heard at $226/mt FOB Ras Laffan, rising $34/mt from $192/mt FOB in the prior month.
Kuwait:
Kuwait prill prices rose to $226/mt FOB for November loading, up $35/mt from $191/mt FOB in October.