Total crude unit shutdown in Texas not expected to impact market

12 September 2011 19:21  [Source: ICIS news]

HOUSTON (ICIS)--The weekend shutdown of a crude unit at Total’s 232,000 bbl/day Port Arthur refinery in Texas for unplanned maintenance was not expected to affect trading on the US Gulf, market sources said on Monday.

Feedstock and refined products market players said there was no impact on pricing. Total was not in either market as a buyer or seller.

The unit is planned for restart later this week, sources said.

Total officials did not immediately respond for comment. Sources did not cite what led to the unplanned maintenance.

The market for gasoline and distillates on the US Gulf is well supplied, with prices weakening on Monday.

Market activity suggested that "no one cares" about the Total outage, a trader said. Unless significantly prolonged, for a month or more, there should be no market impact, market sources said.

"We have seen numerous refinery blips on the Gulf coast over the past few weeks, but none seems to have had much bullish impact," a trader said.

By: Sheena Martin
+1 713 525 2653

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