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Suncor Energy’s operations at its Commerce City refinery are shrouded in secrecy after a Dec. 21 malfunction forced the plant to close for up to three months, but industry experts say the closure signals that Suncor intends to do business in Colorado for the long term.
Meanwhile, the secrecy surrounding Suncor’s malfunction, triggered by extremely cold weather, and the following shutdown concern people who live near the refinery. They are worried about the pollution that may be released as the company brings operations back online over the next three months.
While Suncor has said the refinery won’t be fully operational until the end of March, work at the site is ongoing as crews repair damaged equipment and work on maintenance to machinery used to make gasoline, diesel, jet fuel and asphalt. In a statement, Suncor said neighbors will see flaring and hear noise related to its operations.
“There’s trucks. There’s movement. You wouldn’t know it was closed,” said Olga Gonzalez, executive director of Cultivando, a community organization that monitors Suncor’s pollution.
Cold weather can threaten operations at an oil refinery — even one operating in the Rocky Mountains where winter freezes are expected — but typically refineries come back online within a week after a weather shutdown, industry experts said. However, Suncor, which serves as Colorado’s only in-state gasoline producer, will take months to return to full production capacity, and the shutdown has put a squeeze on fuel supply and costs across the state. Suncor’s Commerce City plant refines 98,000 barrels of crude oil a day, producing 35% to 40% of all the gasoline used in Colorado.
— Full story via Noelle Phillips, The Denver Post
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