Oil Refineries Shut Down as Hurricane Sandy Nears
From NBC News
By Janet McGurty
NEW YORK — The second-largest refinery on the U.S. East Coast was shutting down on Sunday and three other plants cut output as Hurricane Sandy threatened widespread power outages and a massive storm surge across the region.
Phillips 66 has begun shutting its 238,000-barrels-per day (bpd) Bayway, N.J., refinery, nicknamed the “gasoline machine” because of its key role supplying motor fuel to the New York City area. The plant, the only one to close during Hurricane Irene last year, should be completely shut by early Monday morning, the company said in a statement.
The region’s biggest refinery, Philadelphia Energy Solutions’ 330,000-bpd facility in Philadelphia, has begun to reduce rates, according to a source familiar with the plant. The refinery had shut an acid unit but it was unclear by how much rates had been cut at the other units.
PBF Energy reduced output at its Delaware plant and Hess Corp curbed runs in New Jersey, sources said, as Sandy affected operations at refineries that account for two-thirds of the East Coast’s 1.2-million-bpd capacity.
