Jeddah Refinery Shut Indefinitely

State oil giant Saudi Aramco has shut down its 90,000-barrel per day crude oil refinery in Jeddah indefinitely, industry sources familiar with the matter said on Sunday. Aramco had for years been considering whether to shut the refinery because of age and environmental concerns, Reuters reported. The facility, which started operating in 1967, served much of the country’s western region and its closure will increase demand at other Saudi facilities. It produced liquefied petroleum gas, gasoline, diesel, asphalt and jet fuel, and exported naphtha. One source said the facility would be mothballed. The shutdown is not expected to cause a shortage of oil products in Saudi Arabia, as Aramco will meet demand from other refineries, industry sources said. In 2014, it brought on stream two refineries that added 800,000 bpd of refining capacity, in Yanbu on the west coast and Jubail in the east.