ExxonMobil Joliet Refinery Shut Down Following Power Outage

ExxonMobil’s Joliet refinery in Illinois was shut down following a power outage on September 13, temporarily taking the 264,000-barrel-per-day facility offline.

The outage triggered the refinery’s safety flare system and resulted in a plant-wide shutdown. Power was restored later that evening, and ExxonMobil said it was assessing the refinery and investigating the cause.

The Joliet refinery is an important supplier of gasoline and diesel to the Midwest. IIR Energy indicated that units were being stabilized and that the refinery was expected to return to normal operations by the end of the week.

ExxonMobil has not indicated that the outage is affecting lubricant or base-oil supply. For lubricant marketers and distributors, the significance is therefore primarily indirect unless the shutdown becomes prolonged and adds further pressure to regional fuel and transportation markets.