April 16, 2020:

Chevron Refinery said “thank you” to Salt Lake area first responders and food banks with $50,000 in gas cards. The Chevron Refinery is contributing $50,000 in gas cards to three organizations in the Salt Lake area for their coronavirus pandemic crisis relief efforts. The Utah Food Bank, Bountiful Community Food Pantry and South Davis Metro Fire Department. “First responders and food banks are some of our heroes during this crisis. The medical care and food supplies they provide are more essential than ever,” said Mitra Kashanchi, the Refinery Manager for Chevron Salt Lake. “We hope this demonstrates how grateful we are for their tireless efforts during this challenging time.” The Utah Food Bank provides essential services statewide through its direct service programs and partner agencies. The Bountiful Community Food Pantry and South Davis Metro Fire Department serve communities in Davis County, where the Chevron refinery is located.

By www.abc4.com

April 16, 2020:

The city wants Philadelphia Energy Solutions to pick up the bill for costs incurred by the Philadelphia Fire Department’s hazardous materials team in responding to last summer’s explosion and fire at the refinery complex and the team’s continuous presence at the site until last fall. According to documents filed in U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware this week, the city first sent two invoices to PES on Jan. 10 for reimbursement for services provided from June 21 through Sept. 24 of last year. On Monday, the city submitted to the court a motion for allowance and payment of $1,096,721.76 for services provided from July 21, 2019  — when PES filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy — to Sept. 24, 2019. The payments were due on Feb. 28. “To date, the PFD has not been reimbursed for any of the costs described above,” Deputy City Solicitor Megan Harper wrote in the motion. According to that motion, the Fire Department deployed more than 120 firefighters and more than 50 pieces of equipment to respond to the refinery fire on June 21. But personnel from the Fire Department and the city’s Office of Emergency Management remained on site until Sept. 24, when toxic hydrofluoric acid was successfully neutralized. The invoice bills PES for $1,051,198 for hazmat personnel and $45,523 for partner agency usage.

The Fire Department response is recoverable by law, according to the city, and should be paid by PES from the proceeds of the sale of the refinery to Hilco Redevelopment Partners for $250 million because they “provided an actual benefit to the estate” and “were necessary to preserve the value of the estate assets.” “Without the efforts of the PFD, and PES personnel, an even greater catastrophe would have resulted possibly leaving no personal property to offer for sale and real property unsuitable for any use,” the motion says. “Although the fire was extinguished as of the petition date, the PFD’s postpetition services ensured the safe neutralization of highly toxic HF that remained on site, protecting the public health and safety, and preventing further potential erosion of estate assets.” Philadelphia Energy Solutions CEO Mark Smith said Thursday that the company has been seeking reimbursement for the city for months from its insurers and finally got authorization for it on Thursday morning. The city filed a proof of claim for the costs related to the fire and explosion that were incurred before the bankruptcy was filed, from June 21 to July 21, for a total $725,318.01. Smith said the company will pay the total amount, $1,822,039.77. “PES was informed this week that our submission was approved by our insurance carriers and expect to be in a position to pay the City shortly,” Smith said in an email. The sale of the refinery has not yet been consummated and should be happening by mid-May, Smith said.

By www.whyy.org/

April 16, 2020:

The Phillips 66 refinery in Santa Maria announced it will contribute $20,000 to COVID-19 efforts on the Central Coast. The donation will help the Food Bank of Santa Barbara County for the city of Santa Maria. The money will go towards supporting 15 SAFE Food Net distributions in Santa Maria and thousands of home deliveries to seniors in need of nutritious groceries and fresh produce. Phillips 66 Central Coast Area Supervisor, Butch Lemos, said this donation is critical for assisting those in need. "These funds help support the great community where our employees both live and work," Lemos said. "We want to ensure our community knows that we are all in this together.”

By www.ksby.com

April 13, 2020:

A February blaze inside ExxonMobil’s refinery in Louisiana’s capital city was caused by air getting into a line containing hydrocarbon material and igniting, the company said Monday, releasing the results of an internal investigation. ExxonMobil said it will ensure the valves involved in the problem are locked in a closed position to prevent it from happening again, WAFB-TV reported. The fire broke out at the refinery on February 11, turning the night sky a shade of orange and sending a large plume of smoke into the air over Baton Rouge. ExxonMobil said its volunteer fire crews put out the blaze hours later. No injuries were reported, officials said. ExxonMobil is the largest manufacturing employer in Louisiana, and its Baton Rouge refinery is the fifth largest in the nation. The facility produces gasoline, diesel, jet fuel and more.

By www.neworleanscitybusiness.com

April 4, 2020:

BP Plc (BP.L) cut production at its three largest U.S. refineries by about 15% because of the shrinking availability of storage for the products that cannot be sold as consumers stay off the roads to stall the coronavirus pandemic, sources familiar with operations at the plants said on Friday. he plants that reduced production are the 430,000-barrel-per-day (bpd) Whiting, Indiana, refinery; the 242,000-bpd Cherry Point, Washington, refinery; and the 155,000-bpd joint-venture refinery in Toledo, Ohio, the sources said.

By Reuters