Tampa:
Genscape reported normalizing production levels from the 102,000 barrel/d coker at BP’s Whiting, Ind., refinery on March 4. Reduced activity had been observed from the unit since March 2.
Multiple unit shutdowns were reported from the Phillips 66 Wood River, Ill., refinery on the evening of March 3. Included in the shutdown were the 62,000 barrel/d CR-1 catalytic reformer (CRU) and a 16,000 barrel/d coking unit. Decreased activity was noted from the 19,000 barrel/d CR-3 CRU one day later, on March 4.
Phillips restarted a 23,000 barrel/d alkylation unit at its Ponca City, Okla., facility on March 5 following a Feb. 28 shutdown of the unit. The plant’s 100,000 barrel/d No. 1 CTU crude distillation unit (CDU) and an associated 39,000 barrel/d vacuum distillation unit (VDU) were noted offline since Feb. 23. The plant’s 27,000 barrel/d No. 2 CRU was restarted on March 1 after going offline on Feb. 25.
Elevated flaring was reported on March 9 at the BP/Cenovus refinery in Toledo, Ohio. The flaring was observed in conjunction with reduced furnace stack activity at the facility’s 120,000 barrel/d Crude 1 CDU.
Tampa molten sulfur contracts were reported at $282/lt CFR for the first quarter. Players generally expect rising prices in the second-quarter contract.
U.S. refinery utilization moved up for the week ending March 4, according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA). Refiners ran at 89.3 percent of nationwide capacity for the period, a 1.6 point increase from 87.7 percent reported one week earlier. Run rates for the current week remained ahead of both the year-ago 69.4 percent and the 84.0 percent five-year average.
Despite the increased utilization rate, daily crude inputs moved 21,000 barrels/d lower, the EIA said, to an average 15.377 million barrels/d for the week, down from 15.398 million barrels/d posted previously.
U.S. Gulf:
Genscape reported the shutdown of a 70,000 barrel/d hydrocracker at Marathon’s Galveston Bay, Texas, refinery on March 5 following a bout of declining activity levels first observed on Feb. 28. The unit was previously offline Feb. 4-23 due to a cold weather-related power outage.
A 116,000 barrel/d CDU and a 41,000 barrel/d VDU were reported going offline on March 7 at the Chevron Corp. refinery in Pasadena, Texas.
Flaring activity was reported from the 105,000 barrel/d HCU-2 hydrocracker at the Motiva Port Arthur, Texas, plant on March 7. The flaring coincided with a process upset filed with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), according to Genscape.
Increased heating and scrubber activity was noted on March 7 from an 80,000 barrel/d fluidic catalytic cracking unit (FCC) at Valero’s Port Arthur refinery. Activity at the unit was halted on March 9, Genscape said. Genscape reported the unit offline since Jan. 17 as part of a planned turnaround.
Gulf sulfur pricing was noted firming to the $340-$350/mt FOB range, up from $300-$305/st FOB in the prior report. Trading rumored above $400/mt FOB went unconfirmed on March 10.
Brazil:
Recent Brazil spot imports were heard lifting to the $390-$395/mt CFR range, up from $357-$360/mt CFR reported previously.
Vancouver:
Vancouver values were reported climbing to $350-$355/mt CFR during the week, an increase from $320-$340/mt FOB reported previously.
Alberta:
Alberta sulfur netbacks were indicated in a wide $167-$285/mt FOB range for the period, lifting from $167-$270/mt FOB at last report.
West Coast:
Genscape reported a sulfur recovery unit shutdown at the PBF Energy refinery in Torrance, Calif., on March 6. A hydrogen plant was also reported going offline at that time. Unspecified maintenance is scheduled at the facility in the second quarter.
West Coast prills were indicated in the $350-$355/mt FOB range, in line with Vancouver. Contracts for molten sulfur loading from West Coast locations were quoted at $230-$245/lt FOB.
China:
China imports were reported jumping to $400-$405/mt CFR due to mounting global instability and firmer March offer levels reported out of the Middle East. The market was previously noted in the $360-$370/mt CFR range.
ADNOC:
March offers from the Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. were noted lifting to $335/mt FOB Ruwais, a $15/mt increase from February’s reported $320/mt FOB offer.
Qatar:
Prilled sulfur loading from Qatar was noted at $333/mt FOB Ras Laffan for March, rising $18/mt from $315/mt FOB in the prior month.
Kuwait:
Sources reported March offers from Kuwait at $343/mt FOB, a $28/mt increase from the prior month’s $315/mt FOB level.