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ExxonMobil shut Norway Slagen refinery in June

  • Spanish Market: Crude oil, LPG, Oil products
  • 23/07/21

ExxonMobil has told Argus that its stopped operations at its 120,000 b/d Slagen refinery in Norway in June.

The company said in April that it would permanently shut the refinery over the summer, saying continued operation "is not economically viable over the long term" because of "strong competition, evolving regulatory measures, and falling demand."

Around 60pc of Slagen's products were exported. Its closure leaves state-controlled Equinor's 200,000 b/d Mongstad plant as Norway's only refinery.

Slagen is the fifth European refinery to halt completely since the Covid-19 pandemic, bringing the lost crude distillation capacity to more than 600,000 b/d. TotalEnergies halted its 93,000 b/d Grandpuits refinery in France, and will convert it to process pure renewable fuels. Portugal's Galp and Finland's Neste have permanently stopped their respective 110,000 b/d Porto and 55,000 b/d Naantali refineries to focus on products imports.

Trading firm Gunvor has long-term mothballed its 115,000 b/d Antwerp refinery, and UK-Chinese Petroineos has done the same with one crude distillation unit (CDU) at the 210,000 b/d Grangemouth refinery. Gunvor has also permanently stopped both CDUs at its 80,000 b/d Europoort refinery in Rotterdam, though it continues to run secondary units.

Europe's refineries have for years been contending with competition from producers in the Middle East and Asia-Pacific, where capacity continues to grow rapidly, while local fuel demand growth slows. Gasoline and diesel vehicles comprised just 62pc of new car sales in the EU in the second quarter of this year, down from more than 80pc a year earlier.


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USCG updates ongoing lower Mississippi restrictions


17/09/24
17/09/24

USCG updates ongoing lower Mississippi restrictions

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California regulator floats future LCFS linkage


17/09/24
17/09/24

California regulator floats future LCFS linkage

Monterey, 17 September (Argus) — California would welcome bringing US low-carbon fuel standard (LCFS) programs together in a common market, one of the state's top regulators said on Tuesday. Such a linkage is unlikely to occur in the near future, but California Air Resources Board (CARB) deputy executive director Rajinder Sahota said it is something worth pursuing. "I totally think we should link our LCFS programs," she said at the Argus North American Biofuels, LCFS and Carbon Markets Summit in Monterey, California. Sahota said California and other LCFS states are working on a system that could allow the trading of compliance credits between companies covered by each program, but did not provide any other details. Her comments mark a change in tenor from CARB, which historically has said a linkage would be difficult given the differing starting points and carbon intensity targets of each program. Oregon's Clean Fuels Program (CFP) started five years after California's LCFS, while Washington launched its Clean Fuel Standard just last year. New Mexico is working on its own program that will begin by 2026. Oregon and Washington regulators at the conference said there have not been any formal discussions about a linkage, but did not completely dismiss the idea, highlighting the close informal coordination between the states. "All puzzles can be solved eventually," said Bill Peters, interim director of the CFP. By Michael Ball Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

California still eyeing 2025 start to LCFS changes


17/09/24
17/09/24

California still eyeing 2025 start to LCFS changes

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Indonesia issues regulation to build energy reserves


17/09/24
17/09/24

Indonesia issues regulation to build energy reserves

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