The amount of refinery capacity that is available through January 2010 will be sufficient to meet gasoline and distillate demand predictions and should not have a significant impact on fuel prices, the Energy Information Administration reported in its Market Assessment of Refinery Outages planned for October through January 2010, released Nov. 24.

Available refinery crude distillation capacity could run about 2 million bpd more than is projected to be needed during the October though January period, the report states. Because of this, at least 10 percent of available capacity may not be needed. Also, available catalytic cracking unit capacity will be about 10 percent greater than projected U.S. feed input to catalytic crackers.

Estimates include the impact of the indefinite idling of Sunoco’s 150,000 bpd Eagle Point Refinery in New Jersey, the report states. PADD 1, where this refinery is located, is the area of most concern, the report states. However, with U.S. gasoline and distillate demand projected to remain close to or below 2008 levels, and with stocks for both being normal to very high in most regions, the outage should present no major supply concerns.

RINs are generated as a result of the production or importation of renewable fuel into the United States. The RINs serve as identification numbers for each gallon of renewable fuel placed into commerce, allowing EPA to monitor the movement and use of renewable fuel in the marketplace.

The assignment of RINs, contrary to what some believe, is not conducted by EPA (1). Instead RINs are assigned by the producer or importer in accordance with the rules found in the Renewable Fuel Standard program. Section 80.1126 provides all of the details necessary for a producer or importer to assign RINs to their product.

With the exception of producers who produce less than 10,000 gallons per year, and importers who import less than 10,000 gallons per year of renewable fuel, it is mandatory that RINs be generated as the renewable fuel is placed into commerce.