Canada's largest refinery

[ferniesnow]

So, please explain to me how the Irvings in St. John, New Brunswick have the largest oil refinery in Canada. It doesn't make sense. Surely there is more oil produced in the west and the imported oil isn't that many barrels, so what drives this refinery?

 

[Mike270412]

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/explosion-fire-saint-john-oil-refinery-1.4854460

 

[lilduke]

Oil comes from super tankers from the middle east and by rail from north dakota.

Probably some from the hibernia oil field as well I would think.

 

[Caper11]

So, please explain to me how the Irvings in St. John, New Brunswick have the largest oil refinery in Canada. It doesn't make sense. Surely there is more oil produced in the west and the imported oil isn't that many barrels, so what drives this refinery?

Huh??? The scotford upgrader in Alberta is capable of 250 000 bbd in itself.
There is approx 1million BBD capacity of refining in Alberta. I don’t understand your comment.

 

[Caper11]

Oil comes from super tankers from the middle east and by rail from north dakota.

Probably some from the hibernia oil field as well I would think.

Yep the lac magantic train derailment came from the Bakken oil fields on its way to the Irving refinery.

Im unsure if the irvings still own there own fleet of supertankers.

 

[ferniesnow]

Canada imports 700,000 barrels/day. Canada produces 3.2 million barrels/day. So that is only 20% imported to the east coast. So why is the largest refinery on the east coast?

 

[skegpro]

Yep the lac magantic train derailment came from the Bakken oil fields on its way to the Irving refinery.

Im unsure if the irvings still own there own fleet of supertankers.

Are you sure?
I thought it was diluent.....
Hence the big fire.
Crude oil wouldn't produce those results....

 

[lilduke]

Canada imports 700,000 barrels/day. Canada produces 3.2 million barrels/day. So that is only 20% imported to the east coast. So why is the largest refinery on the east coast?

Ontario and Quebec burn lots of it.

 

[skegpro]

Canada imports 700,000 barrels/day. Canada produces 3.2 million barrels/day. So that is only 20% imported to the east coast. So why is the largest refinery on the east coast?

Your confused by refined product vs produced oil.

Not all oil produced finds its way to a refinery within Canada.

Irving is the biggest refinery because they supply NE Canada and and some of the NE States.

They import extremely cheap feedstock barrels from countries like Venezuela and Saudi. So there refined margins are the best in the league.

 

[Caper11]

Are you sure?
I thought it was diluent.....
Hence the big fire.
Crude oil wouldn't produce those results....

No it was light crude. (Condensate)

 

[skegpro]

No it was light crude. (Condensate)

Light crude and condensate are two different things.

Diluent and Condensate are one in the same........

 

[skegpro]

Diluted bitumen.

Condensate/diluent + bitumen

Also know as dilbit.

Anyways.

I am amazed that bitumen burnt like that.

 

[WCTHEMI]

Huh??? The scotford upgrader in Alberta is capable of 250 000 bbd in itself.
There is approx 1million BBD capacity of refining in Alberta. I don’t understand your comment.

An upgrader and a refinery are completely different plants.

 

[skegpro]

An upgrader and a refinery are completely different plants.

That's the problem.
1% of the population understands this.

And then some smart ass says yeah but NWR is an upgrader and they make diesel..........

 

[Caper11]

Diluted bitumen.

Condensate/diluent + bitumen

Also know as dilbit.

Anyways.

I am amazed that bitumen burnt like that.

Humm I also do not recall it being Dilbit in the stories.
When it happened, I remember the news called it condensate.

The Bakken Formation is light crude API of 40-43, Condensate is 45-70 API

Dilbit is heavy crude API of 20-23.

 

[Caper11]

An upgrader and a refinery are completely different plants.

And now common on the same site on a high conversation refinery.

 

[sirkdev]

The communist broadcasting corporation yesterday said it was in the diesel production part of the plant.

 

[skegpro]

Humm I dont also do not recall it being Dilbit in the stories.
When it happened, I remember the news called it condensate.

The Bakken Formation is light crude API of 40-43, Condensate is 45-70 API

Dilbit is heavy crude API of 20-23.

WCS is Dilbit and like you stated way different densities than Bakken crude.

But still pure condensate is an entirely different product.

Good luck getting a rail car of alberta crude to light off.

 

[mathrulz]

Canada imports 700,000 barrels/day. Canada produces 3.2 million barrels/day. So that is only 20% imported to the east coast. So why is the largest refinery on the east coast?

Supply / Demand.... The US north-east has a huge population base to provide for. Irving fills the vast portion of this demand. Most other regions in North America have multiple supply providers (i.e. Sarnia, Oklahoma, Texas, Alberta - lots of different refiners in these regions). The Irving’s thrive where they can have a monopoly and control absolutely everything. They’re one of the biggest land owners in the NE US, the government had to make rules to stop them from taking even more.

Also, access to tide water means they have the option to compete and price their raw materials and finished products in a global market - we all know that story here in AB / BC... So east coast it is.

 

[52weekbreak]

I was curious about refining capacity as well.

https://www.oilsandsmagazine.com/projects/canadian-refineries


And here are the US refineries: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petroleum_refining_in_the_United_States