Complex Refiners Used More Heavy Sour As They Optimize Multiple Crude Types
Source: Form EIA-814
SThis slide and the next  were designed to illustrate the versatility of refineries typically running both sweet and sour crude oil from light to heavy, and to illustrate the shift that occurred from  2003 to 2004.
–This information is a compilation of 9 refineries on the Gulf Coast that process heavy sour crude oils and represent about 1.8 million barrels per day of capacity.
–Now we are comparing imported crude oils for 2003 to 10 months in 2004, but these refineries were selected because nearly all of the crude oil inputs were from imports.

SOverall, these refineries moved to a somewhat heavier slate in 2004 than 2003, with average API declining slightly.

SIf there were significant conversion capacity constraints, one would expect to see increased residual fuel yields and less light product yields for these refineries.  The next slide will show the actual yield patterns.