March 27, 2020:

A federal judge has approved a settlement requiring BP Products North America Inc. and BP-Husky Refining LLC to pay $2.6 million to the U.S. government and Ohio for alleged violations of clean air laws. “This agreement promises a breath of fresh air for communities in northwest Ohio,” Attorney General Dave Yost said. “We all breathe this air, and we all need to do our part to protect it.” The agreement signed Wednesday by Senior U.S. District Judge James G. Carr settles allegations that BP Products and BP-Husky violated the Clean Air Act and hazardous substance reporting requirements at the BP-Husky Toledo Refinery. Under the agreement, the companies will pay a $200,000 penalty to Ohio and will complete a $1.2 million lead abatement project within 18 miles of the Toledo Refinery. The project will aim to reduce children’s exposure to lead-based paint hazards in child-occupied facilities. The project must be completed within three years. The settlement stems from allegations that the companies failed to operate and maintain emissions monitoring systems at the Toledo Refinery. According to a January 2020 complaint, valves, piping and other equipment were not properly identified, monitored or equipped to detect and repair leaks that emit hazardous pollutants into the air. The complaint also alleged a failure to alert state and local agencies when releases of the substances occurred.

The agreement requires the companies to implement proper controls to ensure compliance with clean air laws moving forward. Attorneys from Yost’s Environmental Enforcement Section represented the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency in the case.

By www.13abc.com

March 26, 2020:

In depositions under oath, Riverview Energy President Greg Merle said his only professional experience is tutoring kids for the SAT test. But yet he wants us to believe that he is qualified to build and operate a multl-billion dollar experimental coal refinery in Dale. Inexperience isn’t acceptable, especially for a facility that presents grave public safety issues for everyone within miles of Dale, including Jasper. Proposed outputs from the refinery include naphtha and diesel.  Daily production of naphtha (the main component of lighter fluid) is 287,671 gallons, which will be stored on site. A single spark by accident or terrorist attack could create an explosion that would rattle windows in Jasper and level the town of Dale in mere seconds. That would ignite the huge volume of diesel fuel with daily storage of 552,328 gallons. Diesel doesn’t explode, it burns slowly, probably taking days to burn out. Currently, the Carter Township Fire Department, as good as it might be, is ill-equipped to fight such a fire. First responders from as far as 100 miles away might be called to the scene, leaving their home communities without adequate protection. Little to no public discussion about the safety issue has taken place and if any has, it is kept secret, like nearly every other aspect of this nefarious proposal.  For more than two years, Merle has refused to answer citizen’s questions in any sort of open forum. He and Spencer County economic development officials apparently believe their constituents must simply trust an unqualified individual who desires to make a fortune by dramatically altering the quality of life of those who are forced to endure a massive industrial polluter as a neighbor.

Lots of questions remain. Like, will Huntingburg accept the refinery’s wastewater as proposed by the Indiana Economic Development Corporation? Will construction be financed by some Russian oligarch? Why build a plant that is producing fuel for maritime transport far from ports where the fuel would be used? And more. Sadly, Riverview principals are mute. They don’t want us to know their insidious plans, hoping their political connections can pave their way.

By The Herald

March 26, 2020:

The first oil refinery shutdowns in India and Europe were announced on Friday while global refinery runs drop like a stone in response to plunging demand as countries worldwide implement lockdowns. Italy’s API said it would close operations temporarily at its Ancona refinery, which has capacity of 85,000 barrels per day (bpd). In India, top refiners Indian Oil Corp (IOC.NS) and Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals (MRPL.NS) declared force majeure, with MRPL in the process of shutting down its entire plant. Global fuel demand is set to drop by as much as 15% to 20% in the second quarter after the coronavirus pandemic, which has killed more than 22,000 people, halted most worldwide air travel and prompted the national lockdowns to keep people at home. The resulting slump in demand for oil products, along with Saudi Arabia and Russia’s decisions to increase crude output after last month’s collapse of OPEC’s oil supply pact, is expected to overwhelm refiners as storage capacity dwindles. A source with knowledge of the matter said that Spain’s Repsol would cut runs by about 10% at its complex refineries. In Asia, home to more than a third of global refining capacity, India’s top refiner IOC said in a letter to crude suppliers that it had reduced runs by up to 40% and closed its Panipat naphtha cracker plant because of sliding petrochemicals demand. Meanwhile, operators in Japan, South Korea and Thailand - already running at reduced rates - are looking at more cuts even as they shut plants for maintenance. India’s Reliance Industries (RELI.NS), operator of the world’s largest refining complex, has made a rare move to sell prompt crude as it plans to cut output in April.

Several U.S. refineries have also cut production, including plants in the Los Angeles area, a busy hub for air travel, and Exxon’s (XOM.N) Baytown facility in Texas. The Baytown plant, Exxon’s largest in the United States, is shutting a gasoline-making unit as U.S. fuel demand tumbles. Overall products supplied in the United States fell by 2.1 million bpd in the most recent week, representing close to a 10% drop, while IHS Markit estimates that gasoline demand in the world’s biggest oil consumer could drop by nearly half in the coming weeks. In Europe, some refineries in Britain and Germany have scaled back production, with traders expecting many others to follow as demand falters. ExxonMobil’s French subsidiary on Friday said it would adapt production to falling demand. Independent refiner Phillips 66 (PSX.N) said its first-quarter refinery utilisation rate was in the low-to-mid-80s range, with many refineries operating near minimum rates. China is an outlier, having restarted its economy after weeks of lockdown, with its refining sector showing signs of recovery after a decline in the number of new virus cases.

GLOBAL SLIDE

Demand is likely to slump by 18.7 million barrels per day (bpd) globally in April, against a 10.5 million bpd drop in March, Goldman Sachs analysts said. Total annual consumption is expected to drop by 4.25 million bpd from 2019, they added. “Such a collapse in demand will be an unprecedented shock for the global refining system,” the analysts said. Asia accounts more than 60% of global oil demand growth.

By Reuters

March 25, 2020:

French oil and gas major Total said on Monday that it has postponed the restart of its 102,000 barrels per day (bpd) Grandpuits refinery near Paris indefinitely because of a drop in fuel demand caused by the coronavirus outbreak, as reported by Reuters. The refinery halted production at the start of the month for scheduled maintenance at some units. It was expected to resume production at the end of the month, Total said in a statement. “Due to the fall in fuel demand caused by the Covid-19 epidemic... management has decided to postpone the restart of the refinery,” the company said, adding that only partial activities would be maintained.

By www.bicmagazine.com

March 25, 2020:

Delta Airlines is reducing production at its 190,000 barrel-per-day refinery in Trainer, Pennsylvania by 40,000 bpd, according to a source familiar with plant operations.  The refinery, owned by Delta Airlines unit Monroe Energy, is operating with about two dozen essential staff, according to a source last week. The refinery’s management is working on a rotating basis. There are no current plans to shut down the refinery, according to a source. Last Thursday, Pennsylvania governor Tom Wolf ordered all businesses in the state that are not “life sustaining” must shut down, or face strict penalties, as the number of people infected by the novel coronavirus increases.

By Reuters