Valero Reports Emissions During Re-Start of Texas Refinery

Valero Energy Corp. (VLO) reported a disruption and emissions over the weekend while re-starting its Port Arthur, Texas, refinery after Hurricane Harvey, but it said the start-up was able to continue.

"Unit upset during startup activities following Hurricane Harvey," the refinery said in a statement, adding the emissions of sulfur dioxide began Saturday evening and lasted about an hour. "Continued to follow startup procedures."

Valero's 335,000-barrel-a-day Port Arthur refinery shut down in late August along with many other refineries along the gulf coast due to wind, flooding and electricity problems related to Harvey.

The Department of Energy said in a statement that as of Sunday afternoon, five gulf-coast refineries remained shut following Harvey, representing about 6% of total U.S. refining capacity. Six refineries are in the process of re-starting after being shut, while others are now back up and running, it said.

Write to Dan Molinski at

dan.molinski@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

September 11, 2017 09:36 ET (13:36 GMT)