ExxonMobil's Joliet Refinery in the U.S. Shut Down Due to Power Outage, Daily Processing Capacity 275,000 Barrels
en.Wedoany.com Reported - On September 13, ExxonMobil's Joliet Refinery in Illinois, USA, experienced a full-site shutdown due to a power interruption. The company stated that the outage occurred at approximately 3:30 p.m. local time, with power restored around 7:00 p.m.; the outage triggered the refinery's safety flare system and caused process units to shut down. The company is currently inspecting the refinery's condition, and the cause of the outage is still under investigation.
According to ExxonMobil's 2026 facility information, the Joliet Refinery has a crude oil processing capacity of 275,000 barrels per day, accounting for approximately 6% of U.S. Midwest refining capacity. The facility can produce approximately 11 million gallons of gasoline and diesel per day, along with liquefied petroleum gas, asphalt, sulfur, and petroleum coke. It is equipped with a total of 12 major processing units and features cogeneration facilities, tank farms, wastewater treatment facilities, and rail and barge loading and unloading facilities.
The gasoline and diesel produced by the refinery are mainly transported via pipeline to Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, making it an important production facility in ExxonMobil's refined product supply system for the U.S. Midwest.
After power was restored, the refinery's production units are undergoing stabilization and condition assessment. Energy industry information agency IIR Energy stated that the Joliet Refinery is gradually stabilizing its units after the full-site shutdown and is expected to resume normal operations by the end of this week; ExxonMobil has not yet announced the specific unit restart sequence or the timeline for full production recovery.
The 2026 edition of the facility information also shows that the Joliet Refinery covers approximately 1,400 acres, commenced operations in 1972, and currently has approximately 580 employees and contractor personnel. The refinery primarily processes Canadian crude oil delivered by pipeline.
