Update on dire refining situation in Japan
The 8.9 magnitude earthquake that struck Japan on March 11th has caused considerable interruption to oil refinery operations in the country. Hydrocarbon Processing’s Boxscore Database has complied data indicating that with a total of 28 oil refineries, Japan is the second largest refining country after China in the Asia-Pacific region.
Reports mentioned that over one million bpd of distillation capacity has been shut down as a cause of the earthquake. This is nearly one quarter of the country’s total capacity. There was damage at Cosmo Oil’s 220,000 bpd Chiba refinery where storage tanks were reported to be on fire. Inspections will take place at the refineries that have been shutdown and if they are not damaged they will likely restart as soon as possible. The Chiba refinery could take longer to restart depending on the amount of damage. Below is a listing of the six main refineries affected and their statuses.
| Company | City | Capacity (bpd) | Status |
| JX Nippon | Kashima | 252,000 | Operations halted |
| JX Nippon | Negishi | 270,000 | Operations halted |
| Cosmo | Chiba | 220,000 | Plant fire |
| Kyokuto | Chiba | 175,000 | Operations halted, restart undecided |
| Tonen General | Kawasaki | 335,000 | Main units shut |
| Total | 1,397,500 |
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