More refining capacity than usual will shut for maintenance in Europe this autumn, in part because of the pressing weight of high product stocks. Refiners are crowding some turnarounds into lower-demand autumn months after postponing them earlier this year. Lock- down measures prevented some contractors from crossing borders in the spring, while strict health and safety precautions simply proved unworkable for some plants. Private equity frm Klesch’s 100,000 b/d Heide refinery in northern Germany will carry out maintenance work on three units in September, having pushed back the programme from May. Norway’s Equinor could carry out work on a crude unit at its 200,000 b/d Mongstad refinery, also postponed from the spring.
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