Japan has shut a total of 1mn b/d refining capacity because of turnarounds and technical issues across several oil refiners, temporarily losing 31pc of the country's 3.3mn b/d overall capacity.
Japan's largest refiner Eneos has lost 35pc of its oil refining capacity, as it has shut four plants with a total capacity of 618,100 b/d. The company has an overall 1.7mn b/d capacity across its ten refineries, which accounts for over 52pc of Japan's total oil refining capacity.
Eneos shut its 145,000 b/d Sendai refinery on 28 May and its 141,000 b/d Sakai plant on 17 May for turnarounds. The two refineries are expected to restart operations in mid-July and late-July, respectively. The company was also forced to shut its 203,100 b/d Kashima refinery on 24 May and 129,000 b/d Chiba plant on 11 May because of technical problems. The restart dates of the Kashima and Chiba plants are still unknown.
Fellow refiner Idemitsu also shut its 190,000 b/d Chiba refinery on 28 April for a scheduled maintenance. It is expected to last around two months, said market participants. Idemitsu's 70,000 b/d Keihin refinery operated by Toa Oil has delayed resuming operations after it started a turnaround in January.
Fuji Oil on 23 May also has halted operations at its 143,000 b/d Sodegaura plant for a turnaround, with the shutdown planned for a month.
Cosmo Oil was forced to halt the 102,000 b/d No.2 crude distillation unit at its 177,000 b/d Chiba plant on 16 May because of some technical difficulties but resumed operations on 28 May.
Japanese refiners have struggled with stable refining operations as their plants are getting old. Ageing refineries cause technical issues, and firms need more time for turnarounds to avoid unexpected shutdowns. Earthquakes also trigger technical issues at old refineries in Japan.
Eneos said earlier this month in its revised mid-term strategy that it has raised its budget for refinery maintenance during April 2023-March 2026 by 30pc compared to the April 2020-March 2023 fiscal years, allocating ¥420bn ($3bn) to lift operating rates.
Lower runs also weighed on Eneos and Cosmo's profits from fossil fuel-related businesses in the 2022-23 fiscal year. Idemitsu's refinery issues also led to negative financial impacts, the firm stated in its April-December 2022 results.

