Illinois river work to hamper 2023 coke transit

Lock and dam closures will block vessel transit and curb southbound Illinois river petroleum coke shipments for part of 2023.

Closures at the Brandon Road, Dresden Island and Marseilles locks and dams are planned from 1 June through 30 September, according to the US Army Corps of Engineers (Corps). The closures threaten to hinder coke transport by barge from some midcontinent refineries.

Major carrier American Commercial Barge Line (ACBL) has set final barge departure dates from terminals along the Illinois from 17-24 May, depending on origin.

The work is part of a Corps plan to repair eight lock and dam sites waterway. The repair schedule included a brief closure in 2019 followed by an extended closure in 2020, forcing ExxonMobil's 240,000 b/d Joliet refinery to rely on rail and truck transportation for coke shipments, a source said. Some coke was also held in temporary storage.

The refinery is planning to manage coke shipments and storage in the same way during next year's lock and dam closures, the source said.

Other coke-producing refineries north of the affected locks and dams include the 167,000 b/d Citgo Lemont and 430,000 b/d BP Whiting refineries, which may also need to make adjustments to coke shipments.

"Everyone is getting ready" and working out plans of how best to manage the closures, another source said.

Historically low water levels on the Mississippi river have already been slowing petroleum coke shipments by barge recently, with barge groundings resulting in delays and barges having to be loaded more lightly.

By Delaney Ramirez