Naphtha import to US east coast

[KnutO]

Hi,

I am currently running LP on US east coast refineries using 2006 capacities and prices. And our model buys a lot of heavy naphtha/reformer naphtha. With a normalised refinery of total crude capacity of 100 kbbl/d it sometimes takes as much as 8.5 kbbl/d in addition as naphtha import. From the Refinery Net Input EIA pages (

http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/dnav/pet/pet_pnp_inpt2_dc_r10_mbbl_a.htm)

on PADD I import I only get 1.7 kbbl/d of naphtha import pr 100 kbbl/d of crude.
Does anybody know how many percent naphtha a US east coast refinery typically import?

Another question in the same lane. Do the refineries fill up their reformers or do they run them lower than the full capacity? If so how much of full capacity is used?

 

[epoisses]

Well I know the US imports mogas from Europe since they're mogas short. Logically that means that reformers and FCC's should be running full capacity and that there's not much room for imported naphtha. "Full capacity" I guess is something like 96-98%.

 

[KnutO]

Thanks, if I cut back on the naphtha import I get a lighter overall crudeslate. But according to our LP model it makes more economical sense to by heavier crudes and then import naphtha to fill the reformer. Does that seem logical?

 

[Milutin]

Hi KnutO,

For your already setup LP model, it seams that price of light crude oil, heavy crude oil and price of naphtha steering your model in heavy crude oil - naphtha import direction. In may opinion if price beetwen light and heavy crude oil exist model results have sense.

Regards,

Milutin