Located along the St. Clair River in Sarnia-Lambton, our Sarnia refinery has been an important part of local industry for the past 70 years. The refinery is a significant contributor to Ontario’s fuel supply.
The majority of oil supplied to the Sarnia refinery is from western Canada, supplemented with purchases from the U.S. It is an 85,000-barrel-per-day operation that produces gasoline, kerosene, jet and diesel fuels, asphalt and petrochemical feedstock.
Refined products are delivered to distribution terminals in Ontario via the Sun-Canadian Pipeline or delivered to customers directly via marine vessels and rail. The Sarnia refinery also has limited access to pipelines delivering refined products into the U.S.
Emergency preparedness
Canadian EPA Regulation (CEPA E2)
Our plant is built to operate safely and reliably around the clock, 365 days of the year, using the highest industry standards of engineering design. To help ensure you have the information you need to feel prepared in the event of an emergency, please download our Emergency Preparedness document.
Technical standards to manage air pollution
Property line monitoring results
In July 2017, the Sarnia refinery was registered to the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks’ (MECP) Technical Standards Registry under Ontario Regulation 419/05. This industry technical standard, commonly referred to as the Benzene Technical Standard, is specific to petroleum refineries in Ontario and aims to minimize benzene emissions.
Property line monitoring is required by the Benzene Technical Standard and provides a means for measuring progress in other required programs aimed at minimizing benzene emissions. These programs include requirements to minimize benzene emissions from storage tanks, equipment leaks, sewage treatment operations and at product loading locations.
The Sarnia refinery has 12 monitoring locations across the site which have been approved by the MECP for the purposes of the Benzene Technical Standard. The sampling equipment and methodology were derived during a collaborative project undertaken with the MECP, Sarnia Environmental Association (SLEA), Aamjiwnaang First Nation, local stakeholders and five neighbouring industries. In January 2018, the Sarnia refinery began conducting air sampling every two weeks as required by the Benzene Technical Standard. Within 60 days of the sampling, the results will be posted to this website.
Monitoring locations
Aerial images of the locations of the monitors that comprise the Sarnia refinery’s property line monitoring program.
Aerial view of Sarnia’s monitoring locations.
Aerial view of Sarnia’s monitoring locations and the surrounding area.
Reporting
Petroleum Refining Industry Standard annual reports
Ontario Regulation 530/18- Air Pollution – Discharge of Sulphur Dioxide from Petroleum Facilities
As part of Ontario Regulation 530/18, facilities are required to share specific information related to acid gas flaring events that exceed a sulphur dioxide (SO2) 24-hour threshold of 225kg.
Facilities are also required to share their flare and other combustion equipment minimization plans to reduce the frequency, duration and severity of these types of flaring events.
Ontario’s T.R.A. Reporting
Reporting in support of the Government of Ontario passed legislation known as the Toxics Reduction Act, 2009. The Act and Regulations were repealed on Dec. 31, 2021.
In addition to the annual reports provided above, each facility located in Ontario is also required to develop plans to reduce the use and creation of these substances. Summaries of these plans are available to our employees and the public.