Most European refinery maintenance so far this year took place in the first quarter, with Q2 seeing works diminishing ahead of the start of the driving season which typically boosts demand for products and margins.

In Russia, maintenance accelerated somewhat in April, although remains lighter than last year.

NORTHWEST EUROPE

Some big maintenance is scheduled in Scandinavian countries later in the year, but Q2 works are mostly restricted to routine unit maintenance, taking place at Slagen, Gothenburg and Porvoo, as well as some longer albeit partial works at the Lysekil plant near Brofjorden.

So far works have had limited impact, predominantly on bunker and low sulfur fuel oil supply.

The UK’s Grangemouth escaped unscathed from an ethylene gas leak at the nearby Grangemouth Kinneil Gas plant, and the Humber refinery restarted in early April after Q1 works.

In the ARA hub, Total’s Antwerp integrated refinery and petrochemical platform has been affected by works/upgrade since Q1, with impact on operations likely until the upgrade is commissioned later this year.

In Germany, the maintenance season, having started early in the year, has been carried over into Q2 although to a somewhat lesser extent.

Partial works are to be carried out in Leuna, with the only large-scale works planned at the Lingen plant from mid-April.

In neighboring Austria, around half the facilities at Schwechat will be halted for about two months.

In central Europe, Romania’s Petromidia is carrying out a full shutdown in May while Slovnaft has partial maintenance between April and June.

MEDITERRANEAN

In early May, Total’s Feyzin refinery in the south of France halted operations due to a strike action. The duration of the strike remains unknown. In Spain, after a heavy maintenance in Q1, works were rather marginal in Q2 with Repsol’s Cartagena undergoing works on diesel units.

Corunna concluded its maintenance in early April. Italy’s ISAB has been carrying out works spreading over part of April and May and Taranto is offline for most of Q2 for planned works.

In Israel, the Ashdod refinery is due to carry out major works throughout May.

Algeria’s Skikda is also carrying out works in Q2, although duration and extent of the works had been mired in uncertainty.

SOUTH AFRICA

Bunker traders especially have been concerned about fairly big maintenance in South Africa in Q2, with both Engen and Sapref carrying out work.

RUSSIA

The Moscow refinery has been slowly restarting after a lengthy maintenance and upgrade which started in January. Although restart has been underway throughout April, by early May the refinery was still not fully back to normal output, according to traders.

Another refinery that encountered some hurdles on the way to restarting was the Perm plant where a fire during the restart of the VDU unit resulted in the unit’s halt.

Over the course of May, the Yaroslavl refinery should be gradually coming out of maintenance and by the end of the month both Astrakhan and Taneco are due back online.

Meanwhile, Antipinsky carried out short routine works for a week in April.

But maintenance is taking its toll in Siberia and the Far East, with Achinsk and Komsomolsk carrying out works with supply issues exacerbated by the prolonged maintenance of Khabarovsk.

Source: Platts