Updates with information on nuclear, thermal power plants
A 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck northeastern Japan today, but no major damage has been reported so far to domestic refineries, nuclear power plants or thermal power facilities, according to industry sources contacted by Argus.
The earthquake occurred offshore Iwate prefecture at around 16:52 Japan time (07:52 GMT), according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. The agency issued tsunami alerts for the Pacific coastal areas of Iwate, Aomori and Hokkaido prefectures. An 80cm tsunami was observed in Iwate, while smaller waves were recorded in Hokkaido, Aomori, Iwate and Miyagi.
Nuclear facilities not affected
The earthquake did not impact nuclear power facilities. Tohoku Electric Power's Onagawa No. 2 reactor in Miyagi prefecture was unaffected, as it has been shut for a regular turnaround since 14 January. Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority said no abnormalities were detected at Onagawa No. 2 or Higashidori No.1 and Onagawa No.3 reactors, which have remained offline since the Fukushima disaster. The Onagawa No.1 reactor was undergoing decommissioning.
A Japanese government spokesperson said no abnormalities were reported at nuclear facilities near the epicentre following the earthquake and subsequent tsunami. Some minor disruptions to lifeline infrastructure were reported, including power outages affecting around 100 households in the Tohoku region, as well as partial suspensions of Shinkansen services and road closures on some expressways.
Thermal power generation has also remained unaffected so far. All thermal power plants in the Tohoku region are operating normally, according to the Japan Electric Power Exchange. The electricity reserve margin in the region stood at above 9pc at 20:00-20:30 Japan time on 20 April, exceeding the 8pc level generally considered necessary for stable supply.
Refineries not damaged
No damage has been reported at oil facilities. Refiners including Idemitsu, Eneos and Cosmo Oil told Argus that their refineries were not affected by the earthquake.
Japanese refiner Idemitsu has a 140,000 b/d refinery in Hokkaido prefecture which was not impacted by the earthquake, Idemitsu said, adding that the Hokkaido refinery has continued operations and the refiner's other refineries were not affected either.
Fellow refiner Eneos also has a 145,000 b/d Sendai refinery in the Miyagi prefecture which has been halted since 16 April after a gas leak. Eneos reported no damage to its refineries, including the Sendai refinery. Japanese refiner Cosmo Oil's refineries were also not affected, the firm said.
