Quake knocks out 20% of Japan's refining capacity

expat: Look for prices at the pump to jump...

You're a poet, although you don't know it. Actually I hope you're wrong!

Robert CikkiToday  09:53 am JST

Maybe situations like last weekend should make the companies think in the long term, prepare and have backup strategies.

You do realise we're talking about Japan here, don't you?

'Backup strategies'; Don't think you'll find those words in Japanese business lexicography.

due to the global warming winter freeze. 

Yes - high artic temperatures cause a destabilising of the jet stream which in turn leads to polar vortexes heading south - expect many more record breaking cold spells in Europe, US over the coming years.

Oil is approaching $60 a barrel. Texas refineries are also broken due to the global warming winter freeze. Strange times ...

Japanese refiners led by the biggest, Eneos Corp, shut down a fifth of the country's crude oil refining capacity after a powerful earthquake struck northeastern Japan knocking out power, bullet train lines and injuring more than 150 people.

They refinery shutdowns in the world's fourth-biggest oil importer are another potential hit after the pandemic led to the evaporation of crude demand over the last year.

Japan is also a big exporter of refined oil products (e.g. diessel fuel). Shutdown also has something to do with overseas markets under covid-related impacts .... or global shift to non-fussile fuel economy?

The comments here tell me none of you have ever been in an actual refinery and have any idea how crude oil is refined into the various fuels, paving and roofing products that come out of the process. A good inspection of a large refinery will take time to accomplish, and then it isn't like you flip a switch and gas comes out the pipe. A lot of processes have to be restarted in a very specific sequence. I used to load fuels in several Los Angeles area refiners and they are amazingly complex industrial complexes and it takes a lot of knowledge to operate them safely.

Why not directly build inside a vulcano, then you don’t need to always wait for an earthquake and another ten years for the next big earthquake, until a refinery is sufficiently damaged....lol

the pandemic led to the evaporation of crude demand over the last year.

... 743,000 barrels per day (bpd) of oil-processing capacity has been idled

Good news for the planet.

Should have filled up yesterday?

There is a huge overcapacity in Japan because of a shrinking demand and economy. The oil companies are involved in mergers and have been closing refineries. As so often an excuse is found to reduce capacity.

there will be further permanent closures.

Quake knocks out 20% of country's refining capacity

Long passed time for earthquake prone Japan to reduce its reliance on burning huge amounts of fossil fuels.

More conservation, more alternatives to burning fuels.

Of course fossil fuels will probably always be burned, but Japan, like the rest of the world, needs to burn much less.