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Irving’s refinery in Saint John, New Brunswick is capable of processing about 300,000 barrels of oil a day
By Nathan Risser
Irving regularly conducts fall maintenance at the plant, undergoing a 30-day fall turnaround in 2025, including upgrades to a gasoline-making unit. Photo by BRICE MCVICAR/BRUNSWICK NEWS
Canada’s largest oil refinery is planning to shut down for maintenance in the fall, potentially exacerbating fuel market tightness in northeastern United States states that rely on the plant for gasoline and diesel imports.
Irving Oil’s Saint John facility on the east coast of Canada is planning to conduct what is known in the industry as a turnaround from early September to mid November, according to the company’s website. That means equipment will be shut down for repairs or regular maintenance. Irving did not immediately respond to questions about what units are being worked on or whether the plant has made alternate supply arrangements for customers.
The New Brunswick refinery is capable of processing about 300,000 barrels of oil a day. Maine, Massachusetts and other northeastern states import gasoline and diesel supplies from the plant.
Fuel-market tightness caused by the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran and lingering effects of Russia’s war on Ukraine are expected to persist through year-end. Those conflicts have placed a particular strain on diesel markets and the refiners that make it. Pump prices in the U.S. have spiked to an average of above US$5 a gallon.
U.S. refiners are running hard to supply a tight market and profit from record margins for turning oil into fuels, but are risking unplanned outages in the process as some defer maintenance.
Irving regularly conducts fall maintenance at the plant, undergoing a 30-day fall turnaround in 2025, including upgrades to a gasoline-making unit, and a five-week turnaround during the same period in 2024.
The plant also supplies heating oil to states in the northeast for home heating in winter months. Heating oil stocks tend to fall and prices spike in the colder months as more of the fuel is consumed.
—With assistance from Will Kubzansky.
Bloomberg.com
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