Refinery turnarounds in Europe are forecast to peak in March, with just over 1.1 million b/d offline as part of more than 6.4 million b/d at facilities globally to be offline that month, according to Energy Aspects.

“Planned European refinery maintenance is expected to reach 750,000 b/d during the first quarter of 2017, but details of turnaround work in Europe often only emerge once work is already in progress, so actual levels will likely be higher,” the energy consultancy said in a report.

Refineries in Europe, the consultancy said, were known to be undergoing maintenance over the first quarter included Repsol’s 240,000 b/d Bilbao refinery and Cepsa’s 190,000 Huelva refinery.

OPIS has also reported that the Saras-owned 300,000 b/d refinery at Sarroch and the Ineos-operated, 200,000 b/d Grangemouth refinery in Scotland will undergo maintenance over the Spring period.

The Fawley refinery and Germany’s Ingolstadt and Lingden refineries are others listed as undergoing turnarounds, based on prior OPIS reports.

With winter demand higher than 2016 and supplies dropping over the first quarter, Energy Aspects reported that gasoil stocks in the Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp were drawing as of mid-February as water levels on the river allowed further barges upstream.

Demand in Europe, including Turkey, is forecast to be 6.82 million b/d in the first quarter, compared to 6.88 million b/d in the last three months of 2016, according to Energy Aspects. Demand will then fall to 6.67 million b/d in the second quarter.

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