OREANDA-NEWS. ExxonMobil is delaying the restart of key southern California gasoline equipment after asking for and receiving a postponement from regulators.

The oil major asked to delay a planned 19 March hearing on a restart plan for equipment at its 155,000 b/d refinery in Torrance, California. The company would not say why it asked for the delay.

The change in plans will push back both the startup of up to 20pc of southern California gasoline demand and ExxonMobil's planned sale of the refinery to PBF Energy. The US independent refiner had anticipated start up work to begin in March.

South Coast Air Quality Management District has not yet confirmed a new date for the hearing. A district representative could not be immediately reached for comment and ExxonMobil offered no new timing to begin restarting equipment damaged in a February 2015 explosion.

ExxonMobil needs district approval of a plan to restart a fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) unit and electrostatic precipitator (ESP) because expected safe startup processes will violate air quality regulations until all equipment reaches normal rates. A hearing board will hold at least one meeting on the startup before voting on the plan.

State regulators cleared the refiner to conduct repair and restart work in September.

ExxonMobil must conduct a 35-day test period to ensure stable operations before PBF will close on the deal, the company said in February. A PBF representative could not be immediately reached for comment.