Refinery Shutdowns Impacted Global Fuel Prices
The ExxonMobil Joliet refinery outage tightened fuel supplies across the Great Lakes market.
Updated on Sept. 21, 2026 in Oil and Gas
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Gasoline prices rose across the Canadian Prairies following the shutdown of the ExxonMobil Joliet refinery in Illinois. The facility, which processes 275,000 barrels of crude daily, experienced a power outage on September 13.
Why it matters
The closure of the Joliet facility, which produces 11 million gallons of fuel daily, disrupted the Great Lakes supply chain. Global markets remain sensitive to supply shocks amid ongoing geopolitical tensions.
The Joliet facility maintains a daily crude processing capacity of 275,000 barrels and supplies 11 million gallons of gasoline and diesel. Canadian national gasoline averages reached 183.9 cents per litre on September 17.
The players
ExxonMobil
This multinational energy corporation operates the Joliet refinery in Illinois.
The details
A regulatory filing documented that floodwater overwhelmed a pump at the Joliet site, compounding the impact of a power outage. This disruption added pressure to global fuel markets already strained by attacks on Russian oil infrastructure and tensions involving Iran.
Timeline
Sept. 13, 2026: The Joliet refinery experienced a power outage.
Sept. 17, 2026: The national average gasoline price reached 183.9 cents per litre.
Sept. 21, 2026: Average Canadian gasoline prices were 181.3 cents per litre.
Jan. 31, 2027: The federal fuel excise tax suspension is set to expire.
April 1, 2027: The full 10-cent-per-litre federal gasoline excise tax returns.
Market Landscape
This disruption highlights the fragility of regional supply chains when major hubs like the Joliet refinery experience outages. It follows the federal fuel excise tax suspension, which provides a price floor for consumers ahead of the planned tax increase in 2027.
Drivers in the Canadian Prairies may face higher prices at the pump due to the supply squeeze in the Great Lakes region. Consumers should prepare for potential long-term price fluctuations as the federal government schedules the return of fuel excise taxes for 2027.
The takeaway
Energy markets remain highly susceptible to localized infrastructure failures that ripple across international borders. Monitoring refinery status reports can offer early indicators of incoming price volatility at local retail stations.
Further reading
Learn more about global supply trends in our Oil and Gas section.
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