North Atlantic Refining Limited has paused production activity at the Come By Chance oil refinery as a resut of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The company says it is phasing in a plan to transition the refinery into standby mode.

A reduced workforce will remain in place and focus on maintenance, storage and inventory services.

There are no cases of COVID-19 at the refinery but the change is in line with the advice of public health officials. The refinery’s marketing team will continue to deliver product to customers and retail locations as usual, and the company is working with the provincial government to ensure supply and delivery of essential products.

---

We understand this is a challenging time for our employees, their families, and local communities. We will ensure our employees are supported throughout this process.

We are working with Government to ensure they are informed on the actions we are taking and remain committed to regular progress updates.

These are unprecedented times for every industry. We are making these decisions today to ensure that we are in the best possible position to return to normal operations as soon as it is safe and economically feasible to do so.

-Excerpt from North Atlantic Refining Ltd. statement to stakeholders.

---

Steelworkers’ Union President Advises Members

Glenn Nolan of the United Steelworkers’ Union posted a video to Facebook yesterday telling union members he got a call from the company advising him that they would be idling the plant because of COVID-19.

Nolan says the timeline on how long the refinery will be shut down is unknown, but it could be anywhere from two to five months.