据今日油价12月10日报道，美国能源信息署(EIA)周四表示，近几个月，美国几家炼油厂的关闭导致该国炼油总产能降至2016年5月以来的最低水平。截至2020年9月1日，EIA最新数据显示，美国炼油产能为1840万桶/天。
今年年初，美国炼油总产能曾触及近1900万桶/天的纪录高位，但新冠肺炎疫情引发的燃料需求下滑，迫使数家炼油厂关闭，部分炼厂甚至被迫永久关闭，有些炼油厂转向可再生柴油生产。
今年5月，美国东海岸最大炼油商Philadelphia Energy Solutions (PES)位于宾夕法尼亚州的炼油厂的关闭使美国的炼油产能减少了33.5万桶/天。PES位于北达科他州迪金森市的炼油厂在等待改造成可再生柴油生产基地期间也被关闭，导致美国产能减少1.9万桶/天。
6月份，美国大型石油精炼商HollyFrontier表示，该公司正在扩大可再生能源业务，预计每年将生产超过2亿加仑的可再生柴油。这家位于怀俄明州夏延(Cheyenne) 历时86年的石油精炼商将在2022年前转向可再生柴油生产。值得一提的是，该炼油厂于今年8月份关闭，其炼油产能达4.8万桶/天。
8月初，马拉松石油公司(Marathon Petroleum)表示，将无限期关闭马丁内斯(Martinez)和盖洛普(Gallup)两家炼油厂，这将导致约800人失业。该公司首席执行官Mike Hennigan在8月初的第二季度电话会议上表示，该公司预计，在当前的市场环境下，在一段时间内石油行业仍将面临挑战。
马拉松石油公司和美国的其他炼油商一样，正在闲置炼油厂产能并进行裁员，以应对疫情期间需求暴跌造成的损失。
值得注意的是，分析人士称，今年冬季，美国可能会关闭更多的炼油厂。
王佳晶 摘译自 今日油价
原文如下：
Pandemic Crushes U.S. Refining Capacity
The closure of several refineries in the United States in recent months sent the total petroleum refining capacity down to its lowest level since May 2016, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) said As of September 1, 2020, the latest available EIA data, U.S. petroleum refining capacity stood at 18.4 million barrels per calendar day (b/cd).
Earlier this year, total U.S. refining capacity had hit a record high of almost 19.0 million b/cd, but the COVID-induced slump in fuel demand forced the closures of several refineries as refiners moved to shut down permanently some loss-making refineries or convert refineries to renewable diesel production facilities.
The closure of the Philadelphia Energy Solutions refinery in Pennsylvania in May reduced American refining capacity by 335,000 b/cd. Another 19,000 b/cd was removed from the U.S. capacity after Marathon Petroleum’s refinery in Dickinson, North Dakota, was closed while it waits to be converted to a renewable diesel production site.
HollyFrontier said in June it was expanding its renewables business, expecting to produce over 200 million gallons per year of renewable diesel. After 86 years as a petroleum refinery, the plant in Cheyenne, Wyoming, was closed to be repurposed for renewable diesel by 2022. The refinery closed in August, removing another 48,000 b/cd petroleum refinery capacity.
In early August, Marathon Petroleum said it would idle indefinitely two refineries, Martinez and Gallup, which would result in some 800 people losing their jobs.
Marathon Petroleum’s CEO Mike Hennigan said Marathon Petroleum, like other refiners in the United States, is idling refinery capacity and cutting jobs to cope with the losses stemming from the demand crash in the pandemic.
More refinery closures across the United States are on the cards this winter season, analysts say.