ExxonMobil to 'reconfigure' UK refinery
25 Jun 2012
Fawley, UK – ExxonMobil is to implement a reconfiguration of the facilities at its Fawley refinery to more closely realign production with changes in customer demand. The company does not envisage any redundancies as a result of the plan.
The reconfiguration includes the decommissioning of one of Fawley’s three distillation towers, in which crude oil is boiled to separate it into its component parts. This is scheduled to take place in September 2012.
The improvement initiative was intended to strengthen Fawley’s performance and help secure the refinery’s long-term commercial future, said a 25 June company statement.
The distillation tower that is being decommissioned produces fuel oil, which is excess supply in the UK and gas oil, which is currently being exported to a declining West African market, explained ExxonMobil. The decommissioning, it said, will have no impact on the supply of motor fuels.
ExxonMobil said it would, separately, continue to assess the potential for additional investment opportunities, including the potential to increase diesel production consistent with the growing “dieselization” of the UK retail fuels market.
“This improvement initiative represents ExxonMobil’s ongoing commitment as a significant investor in the UK downstream market,” said its statement.
