JX Nippon’s Sendai refinery back online

JX Nippon Oil & Energy Corporation resumed full-scale production at its Sendai refinery, and is back to its pre-quake capacity of 145,000 barrels a day. The refinery was damaged during last year’s earthquake and tsunami. JX Nippon Oil has completely moved its heavily damaged tanker truck terminal to a site 1.1 meters higher than the rest of the refinery. At this point, 37 lanes to the terminal have been reopened, and a total of 52 are expected to be in service by autumn. In addition, control systems and electrical equipment have been moved from ground level to higher floors to shield them from damage by future tsunamis. Total repair costs are estimated at JPY50 billion (US$626.2 million). With production having resumed at Sendai, it will lower the cost of transporting petroleum products from other refineries to the Tohoku region, of which JX Nippon has a 40% market share. (March 12, 2012)