Shell to convert Montreal refinery to fuel terminal

08 January 2010 15:23  [Source: ICIS news]

TORONTO (ICIS news)--Shell will convert its 130,000 bbl/day refinery in Montreal to a fuel terminal for gasoline, diesel and aviation fuels, it said on Friday.

The refinery no longer fit in with Shell’s long-term strategies, the company said.

Shell announced last July it planned to either sell or close the refinery, which employs a staff of around 500.

The company did not announce a firm timeline for the conversion. “For the time being, it remains business as usual for our refinery operations,” it said.

In March last year, Shell’s Canadian affiliate PTT Poly Canada said it would permanently close an unprofitable 95,000 tonne/year polytrimethylene terephthalate (PTT) plant in Montreal.

That facility was later bought by Portuguese firm IMATOSGIL GROUP, which will convert it to polyethylene terephthalate (PET) production.

Meanwhile, Shell’s is also reviewing downstream operations in Germany and New Zealand, with two refineries in Germany likely to be sold.

In 2008, Shell cancelled plans for a possible grassroots refinery at Ontario's petrochemicals hub in Sarnia.

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By: Stefan Baumgarten
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