Domestic refiners increased their total capacity by 100,000 bbl a day from 2008 to 2009, the National Petrochemical and Refiners Association said in its latest annual US refining and storage capacity report on Sept. 2.
Using data compiled from the US Energy Information Administration’s 2009 Petroleum Supply Annual, NPRA said that capacity grew by 0.44% from 17.6 million b/d in 2008 to 17.7 million b/d this year. It said that a new refinery in Wyoming, Northcut Refining with 3,000 b/d of capacity, began to operate earlier this year, while another plant, the 2,000 b/d Paramount Petroleum refinery in Oregon which last operated in 2006, shut down permanently.
Growth occurred despite an uncertain economy and pending legislation which could hurt refiners, according to NPRA President Charles T. Drevna. “Policymakers must understand that counter-productive legislation, such as cap-and-trade bills or low-carbon fuel standards, would only benefit foreign businesses that already are aiming at US markets with their own refined products,” he said.
The American Petroleum Institute and NPRA each have criticized a clean air bill which the House passed by 219 to 212 votes on June 26 because it would set up a carbon cap-and-trade program which the groups believe distributes free emissions allowances unequally. Domestic refiners would receive 2.26% of the allowances but be responsible for 44% of the total emissions, API noted on Aug. 24 as it released an independent study of HR 2454’s possible impacts on US refiners.
“Jobs are not created by targeting American businesses for punitive measures and consumer costs will not be contained if our nation’s energy future is outsourced to foreign entities,” Drevna maintained.
NPRA’s report is available online at www.npra.org/docs/publications/statistics/RC2009.pdf.
Contact Nick Snow at[email protected]
Photo from Petróleo Brasileiro SA.
Photo from ExxonMobil Corp.
