C Magazine - Winter 2019

C Tomorrow

2019-02-05 01:52:24

Focus on Diesel

The 135 U.S. oil refineries work daily to crank out as much fuel as possible. While many refineries produce significantly more gas than diesel fuel, the two CHS refineries in Laurel, Mont., and McPherson, Kan., produce nearly an even split of diesel and gas.

“We routinely make refinery investments and improvements so we can produce more diesel, which our owners rely on to power their businesses,” says John Traeger, senior vice president of CHS Refineries, Pipelines and Terminals.

Most major improvements are made during turnarounds, an industry term for large-scale shutdowns when refineries receive maintenance and processing equipment is updated. The Laurel refinery completed a 50-day turnaround in spring 2018. In early 2019, the McPherson refinery will initiate a turnaround that’s projected to increase its ability to process crude oil to 110,000 barrels per day.

“Turnarounds take years to plan, require a strong focus on safety and create an intense period of round-the-clock work for refinery employees,” says Traeger.

The main focus of recent turnarounds is capitalizing on the ability to process cheaper crude oils from Canada. “We’re making investments in our refinery equipment that allow us to source lower-cost crudes and produce more diesel from every barrel,” says Traeger. “Our goal is to create a reliable supply of highquality diesel for our owners.”

— Sarah Haugen

LEARN MORE: See a video at chsinc.com/c.

Published by CHS Inc. View All Articles.

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