PBF’s Torrance, CA, Refinery Plans Flare for Oct. 28-Nov. 5

MIAMI, FL (DTN) – PBF Energy has scheduled a flaring event at its 155,000 bpd Torrance, California refinery, starting at 12:01 a.m. PT on October 28 and ending at 11:59 p.m. PT on November 5.  

In a filing with the South Coast Air Quality Management District released Monday (10/27), PBF reported that it expects to release volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions that may exceed 100 lb and sulfur oxides emissions to exceed nearly 500 lb for the entire event. Additionally, the operator anticipates vent gas flow to surpass 100,000 scf.

The Torrance refinery supplies gasoline, diesel and jet fuel to the Los Angeles and Orange County markets.

A steam-related disruption at the Torrance refinery, along with a major outage at PBF Energy’s Martinez refinery, contributed to a drop in West Coast refinery utilization during the first quarter of 2025, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

The planned flaring at Torrance follows a series of other refinery disruptions in Southern California this month involving Chevron’s 269,000-bpd El Segundo refinery.

El Segundo experienced an explosion on October 2 that affected its Isomax 7 hydrocracker unit critical for jet fuel and gasoline production. PBF has reported multiple flare activities throughout October that are still under investigation, according to the company’s filings to the SCAQMD.