IER: China Increases Its Refining Capacity

According to the International Energy Agency (IER), China is expected to dethrone the United States as the number one petroleum product producer in 2021, a historical first. About 50 years ago, the United States had 35 times the refining capacity of China. But today, oil exporters are selling more crude to Asia and less to customers in North America and Europe. According to Wood Mackenzie, about 1.4 million barrels per day (about 9 percent) of refining capacity in Europe may shut-down by 2022 to 2023, with plants in the Netherlands, France, and Scotland on a list of potential closures.

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