Refinery runs in Asia Pacific countries is experiencing a gradual increase towards normal levels after slumping in recent months due to the coronavirus outbreak. Indian Oil Corp. (IOCL) on June 24 said run rates across its nine refineries reached 85-90% from 80% in early June and 25-30% in March. It expects to achieve 100% run rates by the end of July. Private refiner Reliance Industries lowered runs in Jamnagar petrochemical complex to 91.7% in May from 94.8% in April due to the coronavirus-related lockdown.
India’s Chennai Petroleum Corp has been running its Manali refineries at 60% amid weak retail demand for refined fuels. MRPL is operating at 50% run rates from 45% in the previous month, supported by improving diesel demand. It shuts a 60,000 CDU at its Karnataka refinery and operates two other CDUs with a combined rate of 240,000 bpd at reduced rates. HPCL has been keeping full production at its Vizag refinery since the lockdown while running its Mumbai refinery at an 85% rate. Run rates at BPCL’s Mumbai refinery increased to 90% from 75% in end-May.
New Zealand’s Refining NZ shifted maintenance schedule for Marsden Point facility to March 2021. The plant’s CDU and gasoline-producing units were originally planned to shut in the second half of 2020. Caltex Australia’s 109,000 bpd Lytton Refinery also revised its scheduled maintenance earlier.
PetroVietnam’s Binh Son has deferred maintenance at its Dung Quat refinery for a second time, to August 12. The turnaround was initially planned to start on June 12 and then was postponed to July 27, as COVID-19 pandemic complicated the arrival of expert workers and parts, BSR said.
In the Philippines, PSPC extended the shutdown of its Tabangao refinery for about one month citing a significant decline in demand for oil products and the deterioration of regional refining margins. Petron Philippines’ Bataan refinery has stayed shut for around two months from early May due to poor refining margins and weak demand.
