Alon wants to expand Big Spring refinery

Alon USA Partners President and CEO Paul Eisman told investors and analysts Friday Alon is “looking at options” to expand its refinery in Big Spring, Texas. Eisman said the refinery’s access to the increasing amounts of crude oil being produced in West Texas has driven Alon to identify the costs of expansion. Eisman didn’t go into any specifics when prodded by analysts, saying the plan has not been submitted to Alon’s board of directors. His comments suggested the expansion could range anywhere from 5,000 to 20,000 barrels per day (bpd). Alon is preparing the refinery for a full turnaround in the first quarter of 2014, during which the company will invest in improved distillate recovery to the tune of 2,000 bpd. There was less encouraging news for its California refining system, which was mothballed a year ago due to its reliance on imported oil. The company hoped to bring it back online next year with a crude-by-rail facility, but that project has seen delays and it won’t be able to receive the required permits until the end of the fourth quarter.