Aguchak Q: What kind coke is produced by New Woodriver coker?
A: The existing Woodriver 16MBD Coker (from Combining of Clark’s old Hartford Refinery) prior new coker startup was making ~900 tpd of Fuel Grade/Shot Coke @ 5.5%Sulfur/700ppm VA/40 HGI material.
So there can be little doubt that the new 65MBD coker will be making fuel coke since the expanded Woodriver Refinery/Coker was designed to rum even more & heaiver Canadian Bitumen Crudes from its JV partner Cenovus which operates the Upgrader in Canada. The current discounted WTI prices due to glut crudes (Bakken/WTI/CA Bitumen) at Cushing has such low price on WTI & Bakken sweet crudes that it is likely to keep some in mix for new coker just like current Hartford coker and so Sulfur is likely stay in 5-5.5%S range.
However with vote due soon on Keystone P/L (~+450MBD)and sale COP’s Seaway P/L to Enbridge who has announced its reversal & movement of trapped crude (~150MBD) by 2H2012 and current rail movements (~40MBD) to inland refineries & Gulf ……have already significantly dropped the Brent vs WTI differential (an closed crazy discount to Maya as well). So …. the sulfur is likely to increase to the level of Flint Hills (Koch) Rosemount fuel coke levels (which runs ~+95% CA Bitumen crudes).
A similar type coke & story will be likely for Totals Pt Arthur new coker S/Up in 1Q2012 & BP Whiting new coker 3Q2012 and recent Motiva Pt Arthur new coker S/Up 4Q2011 (and expanded Refinery @ 600MBD edges out XOM Baytown & XOM BRouge – to become US largest Refinery).
Look for dramatic change in US WTI prices and Heavy differentials once the glut in Cushing of trapped Crude is drained and Fuel cokers double up on more available and discounted sour CA crudes. It will also spell change for several anode grade & marginal anode coke producers who WILL become fuel cokes (see prior post on ~18 WW anode producers changing to mostly fuel coke production +2010).
Regards