The cash price for CARBOB gasoline in Los Angeles, California, climbed 14 cents/gal Wednesday, supported by nearly 1 million b/d of refinery capacity affected by unplanned maintenance issues.
Los Angeles CARBOB was assessed at NYMEX January RBOB plus 42 cents/gal, its highest level since September 3.
Four California refineries are either at reduced rates or have units shut for unplanned maintenance: Tesoro's 265,000 b/d Carson plant has delayed the restart of its FCC, Tesoro's 166,000 b/d Martinez refinery is starting to return to planned rates after work, Chevron's 269,000 facility is at reduced rates after a fire shut the crude unit, and the 87,500 b/d FCC at ExxonMobil Torrance is still shuttered after a string of complications.
Furthermore, Pemex's 300,000 b/d Salina Cruz refinery on the Mexican west coast is still at reduced rates after its alkylation unit caught fire, while Tesoro's 120,000 b/d Anacortes, Washington, refinery is in unplanned maintenance following a power outage last week.
Unleaded gasoline in Portland, Oregon, was assessed 5 cents higher at NYMEX January RBOB plus 35 cents/gal.
Weekly government data did little to help tamper prices, as total gasoline stocks on the West Coast fell 778,000 barrels to 27.45 million barrels, according to the Energy Information Administration. But gasoline production did climb for the first time in a month, jumping 50,000 b/d to 1.53 million b/d. Imports of gasoline rose 10,000 b/d to a seven-week high of 67,000 b/d.
