Exxon Mobil shuts down Joliet refinery after power outage

Exxon Mobil shut its 264,000-barrel-per-day refinery in Joliet, Illinois after a power outage Sunday, the company said Monday.

Power failed around 3:30 p.m. CT and was restored near 7 p.m. The interruption triggered the refinery's safety flare and forced a plant-wide shutdown. Exxon says it is assessing the site's status, and the cause is still under investigation. IIR Energy said crews are stabilizing units, with normal service expected by the end of the week.

The refinery supplies fuel across the Midwest and can produce about 11 million gallons of gasoline and diesel a day.

The outage lands in an already strained market. The Iran war and Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries have squeezed global fuel supplies, while strong exports have drawn down domestic inventories. US diesel crossed $6 a gallon last week for the first time, and a prolonged disruption at Joliet would push prices higher still.