Full text: "___ is working 7 days a week. The refinery is fully opening back up along with many more refineries. The government is paying them to open and they want it done by august 15. So these guys are working day and night. The government is paying for it. And they are keeping it quiet. And Biden will take all the credit for lowering gas prices right before Mid terms. So grimy."
Edit, further: "But when he said they are keeping it quiet and they want it done in an impossible amount of time, I had to tell you"
Bingo. I work at a refinery. Most refineries run at capacity unless they have maintenance issues, regulatory issues, sanctions, or some sort of legal problem that forced them to shutter temporarily. No company is going to have the ability to bring refineries online but choose to leave them below capacity, unless they want a shareholder revolt.
I don't know what company the OP's family member works at (Don't dox yourself), but OP did say Philly. That said, Monroe Energy is nearby and they make jet fuel for Delta Airlines. I saw an article that said they received 29% of their oil from Russia - and they obviously don't anymore. They did get the bulk of their oil from Nigeria, but replacing almost 1/3 of their oil may be impossible. East Coast refineries configured for light sweet crude are running out of places to get their oil so their production is probably way down.
This could get VERY interesting if the Resident is asking the East Coast refineries to up production. Where will they get it? Russia is off the table, and that didn't just harm those smaller refineries. Marathon got a ton of their oil from Russia as well. Probably others too. Biden could have given them oil from the strategic reserves instead of selling it to Hunter's buddies in China but then that would've given a lifeline to oil refineries. Can't have that - he wants all of them closed.
The company I work for has all of their refineries running near 100%, and most of the others I know of around me are the same way. There likely isn't enough surplus oil here in the US sitting and waiting to be bought and refined. Even if there was, getting it to the East Coast would jack the price up.
I see a different play here. Sure - Biden wants to take credit for bringing prices down a little, but I think his long game is to bankrupt as many small refineries as he can in the process. If he wants those refineries running full-bore it will wear everyone out, equipment will be stressed, accidents could happen, people will leave their jobs, and companies won't be able to hire or even afford higher prices to even get product.
Well biden is. He is asking refineries that have closed or idled to open and run at capacity. You guys act lkke no refineries have idled. Its strange.
This deserves a sticky, since it's the most logical thing I've read in this thread. I hate "I heard from so an so" without another so and so from the industry coming back and saying they agree/disagree/it's complicated.