Shell plans to complete the permanent shutdown of its 211,146 bpd Convent, Louisiana refinery within 10 days, Shell has been unable to sell the refinery since putting it on the auction block in July. The plant became unprofitable since March as fuel demaand was hammered in the COVI-19 pandemic. Shell said on Nov 5 said it would shut the refinery
Shell began shutting production unit at the refinery last Sunday, idling on Monday night the 12,000-bpd isomerization unit, the sources said. The 30,000-bpd diesel hydrotreater was brought down on Thursday. Shell is in the process of shutting the 45,000-bpd heavy oil hydrocracker, called the H-Oil Unit, which converts residual crude oil into diesel fuels, the sources said. Before the pandemic, the H-Oil Unit was one of the most profitable units at the refinery. The 92,000-bpd gasoline-producing fluidic catalytic cracker (FCC) is scheduled to be taken down over the weekend, according to the sources. Shutdowns of the alkylation unit and reformer will follow along with hydrotreaters next week, the sources said.
