September 12, 2013 [The Chronicle Herald] - Imperial Oil’s conversion of its 95-year-old Dartmouth refinery to a storage terminal is inching forward. The Calgary company announced in June that it had abandoned its efforts to find a buyer for the refinery and will turn it into a storage facility for petroleum refined elsewhere.
The refinery now processes about 88,000 barrels of crude oil per day into gasoline, diesel and home heating fuel.
The timeline given then was that the Woodside refinery would cease operations by the end of the year, and it appears that Sunday will mark a significant milestone in that transition.
“I haven’t gotten anything definitive from them, but we were advised that there’s no more bunker fuel deliveries after Sept. 15,” said Dave Collins, vice-president of Wilson Fuel Co. Ltd.
Imperial Oil spokesman Merle MacIsaac would not confirm if the plant will discontinue its refining operations as of Sunday but said conversion will happen over a period of time that has yet to be determined.
“Work continues to progress toward the initial conversion to terminal operations,” he said in an email. “Full conversion will be a multi-year process, while dismantling will be a longer-term program of work.”
The facility will also discontinue offering propane and butane, he said. “However, supply of these products is available in the market,” he said.
The import terminal will also supply the local wholesale and retail markets with imported petroleum products, including gasoline, diesel, home heating fuel, jet fuel and kerosene.
“Imperial will continue to supply refined products to the market, and where there is any change in the product offering, we have been working closely with our customers to ensure a smooth transition.”
Downsizing of the Dartmouth operation will have an impact on many of Imperial’s 200 local employees, as well as some 200 contract workers.
The resulting terminal operation will employ 40 to 45 Imperial workers and some contract workers.
