Næxon

09/14/2026

ExxonMobil’s Joliet Refinery in Illinois experienced a significant unplanned shutdown Sunday afternoon after a power outage disrupted operations and activated the refinery’s safety flare system.

The outage began at approximately 3:30 p.m. CT on September 13, resulting in the shutdown of refinery operations. Power was reportedly restored at approximately 7:00 p.m., but restoring electrical service does not mean refinery processing units immediately return to normal operation. ExxonMobil is assessing equipment and refinery conditions before proceeding with the restart process.

No fatalities or injuries have been reported in connection with the outage at this time. The visible flaring associated with the incident was part of the refinery’s safety system, which burns off process gases when operating conditions are disrupted or units are shut down unexpectedly.

The incident is operationally significant because the Joliet Refinery can process approximately 275,000 barrels of crude oil per day. The facility is an important supplier of gasoline, diesel and other petroleum products to the Midwest. A prolonged shutdown could therefore have a greater regional impact than a brief electrical interruption.

Restarting a refinery following a site-wide or major power disruption can be a carefully controlled process. Operators typically must verify electrical systems, utilities, instrumentation, process pressures and temperatures, rotating equipment and individual processing units before returning the facility to normal production. Additional flaring can sometimes occur during this process as units are stabilized.

Current Status

As of the latest available information, power has been restored, but the refinery experienced an unplanned shutdown and ExxonMobil has not established a publicly confirmed timeline for a complete return to normal operations. The cause of the electrical outage remains under investigation.

No serious injuries, fatalities, evacuation or shelter-in-place order have been reported.

This remains a developing situation. Further updates will be warranted if ExxonMobil confirms a restart, individual units remain offline, significant flaring or emissions continue, or authorities identify a more serious cause behind the outage.