A Fragile Thing – Fire at Chevron’s El Segundo Refinery Shows Vulnerability of California Refining Sector

RBN Energy Blogcast

A fire swept through Chevron’s El Segundo, CA, refinery on October 2, upsetting production of gasoline, jet fuel and diesel. The incident raised fresh concerns about higher prices and highlighted the fragility of the state’s refining network, already challenged by years of weak margins, rising regulatory compliance costs and softening gasoline demand. In today’s RBN blog, we discuss the immediate impact of the fire and the long-term outlook for California’s refining sector.