Japan is expected to restore a total 780,000 b/d of refining capacity next week as JX Nippon Oil & Energy expects to restart two crude distillation units at its 270,000 b/d Negishi refinery by the end of that week, the Petroleum Association of Japan said Thursday.
"As the 780,000 b/d refining capacity will be restored [next week], we can now ensure our supply," PAJ president Akihiko Tembo told a press conference in Tokyo. "We will no longer be in situations to worry about supply disruptions."
Meanwhile, ExxonMobil's Japanese refining arm TonenGeneral has restarted its 335,000 b/d Kawasaki refinery in Tokyo Bay and reached "full production" earlier in the day.
PAJ also confirmed a Platts report earlier in the day that refiner Kyokuto Petroleum Industries will reach full operation in a few days, following the restart of its sole 175,000 b/d CDU at its Ichihara refinery in Chiba, Tokyo Bay.
As part of local refiners' emergency measures, PAJ has secured an import of 450,000 kiloliters (2.83 million barrels) of oil products by the end of March, while the local refiners canceled a total 650,000 kl (4.09 million barrels) of their oil product exports for the month, Tembo said.
He added that PAJ has also secured 300,000 kl of oil products from local refiners' increased production.
