Regina refinery turnaround set for mid-April

The Co-op Refinery Complex in Regina. (GarethDillistone/CTVNews)

Residents and commuters near Regina’s Co-op Refinery Complex will notice increased traffic next month as the complex begins its spring turnaround.

In an update posted online, the Co-op Refinery Complex said this year’s $150 million plus operation will last up to 54 days and bring in more than 1,600 additional skilled trades workers for approximately 816,000 person hours.

“As a team, we will work together to perform preventive maintenance, renovations and upgrades as part of the multi-million-dollar project – ultimately allowing us to continue safe and reliable operations,” Co-op said, adding an emphasis remains on safety.

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During peak times, more than 1,500 workers will be on site at once.

A specific start date was not announced, but the process will begin in mid-April.

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (USEIA), a turnaround is a planned, periodic shutdown of one or more refinery processing units to perform maintenance, inspection and repairs.

The Co-op Refinery Complex processes up to 130,000 barrels of crude oil everyday, which can then be used to create products like gasoline, diesel, propane, butane, sulphur, heavy fuel oil, smelting grade coke and asphalt.