ExxonMobil said it had stopped operations at its 120,000 bpd Slagen refinery in Norway in June. In April, the company announced a plan to permanently close the facility, citing falling demand, unviable long-term operations, and rising competition. Slagen exported 60% of its oil products. Its closure leaves Equinor’s 200,000 bpd Mongstad plant as the only refinery operating in the Scandinavian country.
Slagen is the latest European refinery to close down after the COVID-19 pandemic. The other closed or mothballed plants are TotalEnergies’ 93,000 bpd Grandpuits refinery in France, Galp’s 110,000 bpd Porto refinery in Portugal, Neste’s 55,000 bpd Naantali refinery in Finland, and Gunvor’s 115,000 bpd Antwerp refinery in Belgium. In addition, Gunvor retired two crude distillation units (CDUs) at its Europoort refinery in Rotterdam. Petroineos also permanently shut a CDU at the 210,000 bpd Grangemouth refinery in the UK.
