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Refinery disruptions may cut Japan’s bunker fuel supply

  • Mercados: Oil products
  • 18/02/21

Japanese marine fuel supplies may be limited by a halt to refinery operations after a 7.3-magnitude earthquake hit northeast Japan on 13 February.

Some crude distillation units (CDUs) and secondary facilities such as fluid catalytic crackers have been disrupted by the earthquake. Bunker fuel supplies are not affected by the disruptions so far, but their availability may tighten with falling inventories. Some of the units that provide marine fuel components may take time to return to full operations, according to market participants.

Japanese refiner Eneos' 145,000 b/d Sendai refinery and some secondary units at its 270,000 b/d Negishi refinery are still closed following the earthquake, with no restart schedule yet. And Idemitsu's 190,000 b/d Chiba refinery remains shut.

Rough sea conditions during the week have also pressured the country's bunker fuel stocks. Transfer delays caused by a temporary suspension of berthing operations have resulted in a lack of bunker fuel components at blending facilities.

Five CDUs with a combined capacity of 720,000 b/d are off line in Japan because of various reasons such as the earthquake, existing turnarounds, the impact of earlier fires and other unknown factors. Eneos is also planning a scheduled maintenance at the 95,200 b/d No.2 and 105,000 b/d No.3 CDUs at its Mizushima B refinery from the end of February.


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