Welcome to the Fuel Matters Blog

Philadelphia Energy Solutions (PES) announced the closing of their doors a couple of weeks ago, but there was, and still is, a lot of uncertainty for what that means for the future of the union workers and the physical plant itself.  PES recently announced its commitment to extend pay for union workers through August 25^th, according to StateImpact Pennsylvania.  U.S. Senator Bob Casey and PES representatives have confirmed that PES will pay its workers through the expiration of their collective-bargaining agreement.  While the unions are holding on to hope that parts of the refinery will remain open or sell to a new operator quickly, it seems increasingly unlikely that will happen.

Philadelphia Energy Solutions Inc (PES) announced Wednesday that they are shutting down operations within the next month after the explosion and fire that occurred in the early morning of June 21.  The refinery is the oldest and largest on the East Coast of the United States that once produced 335,000 barrels-per-day.  The cause of the fire is still unknown, but the aftermath of the explosion is being felt immediately, in not only the local region but also the entire eastern seaboard. 

Analysts are getting increasingly worried that the refining industry will not be prepared in time to meet the lower sulfur regulation under the new International Maritime Organization (IMO) set to begin January 1, 2020 and will subsequently increase diesel prices in relation to crude oil.