ExxonMobil’s Baton Rouge refinery
Mars attacks US oil industry
Crude quality issues are an often understated risk to energy security, highlighted by problems at a key US refinery
ExxonMobil's 522,000b/d Baton Rouge refinery, one of the nation's largest, has halted purchases of Mars crude oil because of a critical zinc contamination that poses a serious threat to refinery operations. The quality issue emerged following Chevron’s startup of an offshore oil well. Mars crude, along with Poseidon and Southern Green Canyon is a key US medium sour crude oil and is also a component of the Argus Sour Crude Index benchmark. 550,000b/d – Mars production Zinc poses a significant problem for refinery equipment, and refiners—especially on the US Gulf Coast—will be desperate to find alternatives to Mars. While ExxonMobil is set to borrow 1m bl of oil from the Strategic Petr
Also in this section
4 December 2025
Time is running out for Lukoil and Rosneft to divest international assets that will be mostly rendered useless to them when the US sanctions deadline arrives in mid-December
3 December 2025
Aramco’s pursuit of $30b in US gas partnerships marks a strategic pivot. The US gains capital and certainty; Saudi Arabia gains access, flexibility and a new export future
2 December 2025
The interplay between OPEC+, China and the US will define oil markets throughout 2026
1 December 2025
The North African producer’s first bidding round in almost two decades is an important milestone but the recent extension suggests a degree of trepidation
