Bataan Refinery Explained

Bataan Refinery
Location Map:Luzon
Coordinates:14.53°N 120.6°W
Country:Philippines
Province:Bataan
City:Limay
Operator:Petron Corporation
Owner:Petron Corporation
Capacity Bbl/D:180000
Employees:1,196[1] (2014)

The Bataan Refinery is an oil refinery in Limay, Bataan, Philippines. It is owned and operated by Petron Corporation and is the largest oil refinery in the Philippines with the capacity to process . It began operation in 1961.[2]

History

The Bataan Refinery was originally owned by Stanvac. Construction of the refinery began in 1957 and was inaugurated on April 8, 1961 by then Philippine President Carlos P. Garcia.[3] It was later acquired by Esso Philippines, Inc. which later became Petron Corporation.

The site is powered by a 140-MV solid fuel-fired power plant of Petron which was briefly owned by SMC Powergen from 2013 to 2016.. SMC Powergen expanded the power plant's capacity from 70-MV in 2014.[4]

Fuel marking at the refinery was adopted in January 2020 to support the government's effort against fuel smuggling.[5]

Due to low demand of oil caused by the COVID-19 pandemic the oil refinery temporarily ceased operations in May 2020[6] The refinery resumed operations in September 2020.[7] The refinery temporary cease operations again from February to May 2021 and resumed commercial operations in June 2021. Petron announced that it would be building a new 184MW power plant to replace the older facilities of the refinery.[8]

Notes and References

  1. 2014 Human Resource Statistics. Annual Report . 36. 2014 . August 15, 2020 . Petron Corporation.
  2. Web site: Petron Bataan Refinery (PBR) Expansion . Hydrocarbons Technology . Verdict Media Limited . August 15, 2020.
  3. News: President's Week in Review: April 2 – April 8, 1961 . August 15, 2020 . Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines . April 10, 1961.
  4. News: Petron may sell back Limay plant to SMC Global Power unit . August 15, 2020 . BusinessWorld . September 11, 2019.
  5. News: Brelsford . Robert . Petron's Bataan refinery begins fuel marking . August 15, 2020 . Oil & Gas Journal . Endeavor Business Media, LLC . January 5, 2020.
  6. News: Philippines' Petron suspends 180,000-bpd Bataan refinery as pandemic bites . August 15, 2020 . Reuters . May 26, 2020.
  7. News: Petron reopens Bataan refinery. Manila Standard.
  8. News: Lectura . Lenie . Petron building power plant for Bataan refinery . 18 February 2022 . BusinessMirror . 6 July 2021.