Western Refining completes Yorktown closure

Sept. 13, 2010
Western Refining Inc. has completed the shutdown of process units at its 70,000-b/d Yorktown refinery in York County, Va. (OGJ, Aug. 16, 2010, Newsletter).

By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, Sept. 13
-- Western Refining Inc. has completed the shutdown of process units at its 70,000-b/d Yorktown refinery in York County, Va. (OGJ, Aug. 16, 2010, Newsletter).

The company, which also has refineries in El Paso and Gallup, NM, cited expectations for weak refining margins on the US East Coast when it disclosed the move last month.

Announcing completion of the shutdown, Mark Smith, Western’s president, refining and marketing, said, “If the refining economics on the East Coast improve, we would consider restarting refining operations.”

Western is operating the plant as a products terminal and storage facility for which it is “continuing to evaluate all strategic alternatives,” according to a press statement.