Tesoro CEO expects refineries to run up to 99 % in Q3
(Reuters) Tesoro Corp. Chief Executive Greg Goff expects the company's seven US refineries to operate at between 93% and 99% of their combined throughput of 831 Mbpd in Q3 of 2016.
The independent western US refiner is in the process of integrating operations of the 20 Mbpd Dakota Prairie refinery near Dickinson, North Dakota, with its other plants, Goff said a conference call with Wall Street analysts to discuss Q2 earnings.
The company expects permit approval from California environmental regulators to integrate two adjoining Los Angeles refineries by the end of 2016, Goff said.
Construction to combine operations of the Carson and Wilmington, California, refineries is expected to begin in 2017, he said.
Tesoro is awaiting word from a Washington state commission evaluating a proposed 360 Mbpd crude-by-rail terminal in Vancouver, Washington, Goff said.
"We remain confident that a thorough evaluation will clearly demonstrate that we can design, construct and operate a safe, environmentally responsible facility that offers benefits to the state of Washington and the West Coast," Goff said.
The commission will make a recommendation on the project to Washington Gov. Jay Inslee.
Goff said most of the Tesoro's exports from the West Coast to Latin America originate from the company's Anacortes, Washington, operations.
Reporting by Erwin Seba; Editing by Bill Trott
Comments