Imperial eyes alternatives for Dartmouth, NS, refinery

May 17, 2012
Imperial Oil Ltd. said it will offer its 88,000 b/d Dartmouth refinery near Halifax, NS, for sale while it studies alternatives for the facility that is not meeting its financial expectations.  

Imperial Oil Ltd. said it will offer its 88,000 b/d Dartmouth refinery near Halifax, NS, for sale while it studies alternatives for the facility that is not meeting its financial expectations.

The company will consider continuing to operate the facility as a terminal and hopes to make a decision by the first quarter of 2013 depending on the response to marketing efforts.

The refinery, which has 200 employees and 200 contractors, produces gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, home heating oil, marine fuel, heavy fuel oil, and asphalt. Related terminals operate at Dartmouth, NS, Sydney, NS, Corner Brook, Newf., Sept-Iles, Que., and Cap aux Meules in the Magdalen Islands. The refinery started up in 1918.

Imperial said, “The Dartmouth refinery operates in the highly-competitive Atlantic Basin, which is open to significant global competition. Demand for refined products in the basin has declined in recent years, and despite tremendous efforts by our workforce, the refinery has not met expected financial returns.”