Imperial Oil Refinery
Encyclopedia
The Dartmouth Refinery is an oil refinery
in Dartmouth
, Nova Scotia
, owned by Imperial Oil
. It is located on the eastern side of Halifax Harbour
, and the crude oil arrives via ship
. It covers a some 400 hectares (988.4 acre) area south
of central Dartmouth, with the neighbourhood
around it being known as Imperoyal
.
for much of the Allied North Atlantic fleet. The site was originally the site of Fort Clarence, one of the forts guarding the harbour against attack.
On July 21, 2011 the refinery had to be temporarily shut dow due to damage sustained during an electrical storm
. Scheduled maintenance was moved ahead to coincide with the repairs. Meanwhile some fuel suppliers in the refinery's service area closed down due to a lack of supply and the wholesale price for gasoline in New York rose marginally.
and gasoline to Atlantic Canada, the others being the considerably larger Irving Oil
refinery in Saint John, New Brunswick
and the Come By Chance Refinery in Newfoundland. The Dartmouth refinery meets most of Nova Scotia's needs and provides oil and gas to all retail stations and bulk terminals in Nova Scotia
. The refinery sells excess gasoline
to the United States
marketand employs some 200 people.
Oil refinery
An oil refinery or petroleum refinery is an industrial process plant where crude oil is processed and refined into more useful petroleum products, such as gasoline, diesel fuel, asphalt base, heating oil, kerosene, and liquefied petroleum gas...
in Dartmouth
Dartmouth, Nova Scotia
Dartmouth founded in 1750, is a community and planning area of the Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia. Located on the eastern shore of Halifax Harbour, Dartmouth has been nicknamed the City of Lakes after the large number of lakes located in the city.On April 1, 1996, the provincial...
, Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
, owned by Imperial Oil
Imperial Oil
Imperial Oil Limited is Canada's largest petroleum company. The company is engaged in the exploration, production and sale of crude oil and natural gas. It is controlled by US based ExxonMobil, which owns 69.6% of its stock...
. It is located on the eastern side of Halifax Harbour
Halifax Harbour
Halifax Harbour is a large natural harbour on the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia, Canada, located in the Halifax Regional Municipality.-Harbour description:The harbour is called Jipugtug by the Mi'kmaq first nation, anglisized as Chebucto...
, and the crude oil arrives via ship
Ship
Since the end of the age of sail a ship has been any large buoyant marine vessel. Ships are generally distinguished from boats based on size and cargo or passenger capacity. Ships are used on lakes, seas, and rivers for a variety of activities, such as the transport of people or goods, fishing,...
. It covers a some 400 hectares (988.4 acre) area south
South
South is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography.South is one of the four cardinal directions or compass points. It is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to east and west.By convention, the bottom side of a map is south....
of central Dartmouth, with the neighbourhood
Neighbourhood
A neighbourhood or neighborhood is a geographically localised community within a larger city, town or suburb. Neighbourhoods are often social communities with considerable face-to-face interaction among members. "Researchers have not agreed on an exact definition...
around it being known as Imperoyal
Imperoyal, Nova Scotia
Imperoyal is a small neighbourhood on the eastern side of Halifax Harbour in the community of Dartmouth Nova Scotia . The area is mostly taken up by the Imperial Oil Refinery and by petroleum storage and transfer facility owned by Irving Oil Limited...
.
History
The refinery was founded in 1918, in part to meet the burgeoning needs of the First World War. It played an important role in the Second World War, providing the fuelFuel
Fuel is any material that stores energy that can later be extracted to perform mechanical work in a controlled manner. Most fuels used by humans undergo combustion, a redox reaction in which a combustible substance releases energy after it ignites and reacts with the oxygen in the air...
for much of the Allied North Atlantic fleet. The site was originally the site of Fort Clarence, one of the forts guarding the harbour against attack.
On July 21, 2011 the refinery had to be temporarily shut dow due to damage sustained during an electrical storm
Electrical storm
Electrical storm may refer to:* A thunderstorm* A medical condition of chaotic electrical activity of the heart, usually manifested by ventricular tachycardia* "Electrical Storm" , song by U2...
. Scheduled maintenance was moved ahead to coincide with the repairs. Meanwhile some fuel suppliers in the refinery's service area closed down due to a lack of supply and the wholesale price for gasoline in New York rose marginally.
Refinery details
The refinery currently processes some 89000 oilbbl/d. It is one of three refineries that supply almost all the heating oilHeating oil
Heating oil, or oil heat, is a low viscosity, flammable liquid petroleum product used as a fuel for furnaces or boilers in buildings. Home heating oil is often abbreviated as HHO...
and gasoline to Atlantic Canada, the others being the considerably larger Irving Oil
Irving Oil
Irving Oil is a gasoline, oil, and natural gas producing and exporting company. It is also one of the few energy companies in Canada to publicly support the Kyoto Accord. Irving Oil operates one large oil refinery...
refinery in Saint John, New Brunswick
Saint John, New Brunswick
City of Saint John , or commonly Saint John, is the largest city in the province of New Brunswick, and the first incorporated city in Canada. The city is situated along the north shore of the Bay of Fundy at the mouth of the Saint John River. In 2006 the city proper had a population of 74,043...
and the Come By Chance Refinery in Newfoundland. The Dartmouth refinery meets most of Nova Scotia's needs and provides oil and gas to all retail stations and bulk terminals in Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
. The refinery sells excess gasoline
Gasoline
Gasoline , or petrol , is a toxic, translucent, petroleum-derived liquid that is primarily used as a fuel in internal combustion engines. It consists mostly of organic compounds obtained by the fractional distillation of petroleum, enhanced with a variety of additives. Some gasolines also contain...
to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
marketand employs some 200 people.