Eric Watkins
OGJ Oil Diplomacy Editor
LOS ANGELES, May 3 -- JX Nippon Oil & Energy Corp. May 3 resumed shipments of products from its Sendai refinery for the first time since the facility was damaged during the Mar. 11 earthquake that hit Japan.
The refinery's daily shipment capacity of gasoline, kerosine, and other products stands at 2,500 kl, about 50% of its output before the quake. Refining operations remain offline at Sendai facility, however, and the products being shipped are from existing inventory.
The JX Holdings Inc. unit installed equipment to load nine tanker trucks at the same time, and it plans to begin accepting ships by May 8 to strengthen its supply capabilities within Miyagi Prefecture and other areas.
A refinery official said the facility is to increase its shipping capacity to a minimum 5,000 kl/day before winter to satisfy peak demand for heating oil and other products.
The company's refining facilities in Sendai, which were badly damaged during the earthquake, are not expected to resume operations until mid-2012.
ExxonMobil Corp.’s Shiogama Terminal in Sendai reopened Mar. 20 and received its first tanker shipment of fuel, including 2 million l. of gasoline, light oil, and kerosine.
“The terminal is a key distribution point for the impacted area and is also being used by other companies to bring in needed supplies,” an ExxonMobil spokesman told OGJ (OGJ Online, Mar. 22, 2011).
Contact Eric Watkins at [email protected].
Photo from Petróleo Brasileiro SA.
Photo from ExxonMobil Corp.
