Processing capacity at Consumers’ Cooperative Refineries Ltd.’s (CCRL) 145,000-b/d refining complex in Regina, Sask., is improving following a Dec. 24, 2013, explosion and subsequent fire, owner Federated Cooperatives Ltd. (FCL) has confirmed (OGJ Online, Dec. 27, 2013).
After capacity was reduced to 60,000 b/d following the Dec. 24 incident, the refinery is now able to process 90,000 b/d through the optimization of available units, FCL said in a Jan. 17 release.
“We will continue to operate at this level until repairs can be made to the damaged units,” according to Gil Le Dressay, vice-president of refinery operations for FCL.
But no clear timeframe is available for when the refinery will resume normal operation levels.
“It is still too early in the assessment process to determine a timeline for the return to full production,” Le Dressay said.
While Regina Fire & Protective Services (RFPS) continues to lead an investigation into the cause of the incident—which damaged a unit used to manufacture gasoline from propane and butane (OGJ Online, Dec. 30, 2013)—RFPS has described the investigation as complex, with an early estimate suggesting a causation report could take up to a year to complete, according to FCL.
With capacity at the refinery reduced indefinitely, FCL has secured alternative supplies and does not expect any shortages or restrictions to gasoline or diesel for its western Canadian customers, the company said.
