COMMERCE CITY, Colo.—One of Colorado’s two oil refineries will shut down for the month of October for maintenance, possibly squeezing fuel supplies and raising gasoline prices.
Owner Suncor Energy said October typically has low demand for gasoline.
But Gray Oil Co., a refinery customer that is a wholesale buyer of gasoline and diesel, is concerned.
“October is a busy month. Construction companies try to finish up projects before winter, (and the) agriculture harvest will increase the demand for diesel from crop transporters,” said Bryant Gimlin, energy risk manager at Gray Oil. “From our standpoint, October is not a good time for a shutdown.”
Suncor said during the shutdown the refinery will honor its supply contracts with long-term customers. The company has told spot buyers to make alternate arrangements, said Steve Douglas, Suncor’s general manager of marketing.
The two refineries in Commerce City have a combined capacity of more than 90,000 barrels a day, supplying about a third of the demand for gasoline and diesel fuel in Colorado. The refinery being shut down for a month processes 30,000 barrels per day.
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Information from: Rocky Mountain News,
