Largest U.S. refinery restarts after Texas freeze

The largest U.S. refinery, Motiva Enterprises’ 607,000-barrel-per-day (bpd) Port Arthur, Texas, plant, restarted its largest crude oil processing unit, sources familiar with plant operations said.

The 325,000-bpd VPS-5 crude distillation unit (CDU) and 110,000-bpd coker were increasing production, the sources said. The refinery was shut on Feb. 15 due to severe cold weather along the Gulf Coast.

Motiva did not immediately reply to a request for comment on Friday morning.

CDUs break down crude oil into hydrocarbon feedstocks for all other production units at the refinery. There are three CDUs at the Motiva refinery.

Cokers convert residual crude oil from distillation units to either motor fuel feedstocks or petroleum coke, a substitute for coal.

Hydrotreaters remove sulfur from feedstocks for motor fuels in compliance with U.S. environmental rules.

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