The US Midwest region is facing a potential gasoline crisis after ExxonMobil’s Joliet refinery in Illinois stopped operating completely due to a power outage caused by a severe storm.

The Joliet refinery is one of the most modern refineries in the United States, with a production capacity of 251,000 barrels per day, equivalent to 9 million gallons of gasoline and diesel.

The refinery plays a vital role in providing fuel to the Midwest region, including Chicago and other surrounding areas.

It was expected that most of the refinery’s units would return to work within a week, but reports now indicate that resuming full operation may take up to three weeks—that is, until next August.

This delay is due to the extent of damage to the energy infrastructure in the region as well as the complexities of restarting large units.

The shutdown of the refinery has led to a severe shortage in fuel supplies, causing gasoline and diesel prices to rise significantly.

In Chicago, the price of a gallon of diesel rose from $3.94 to $4.29 within a day, while futures prices jumped by about 11 cents.

Experts warn that the refinery’s continued cessation of operation may exacerbate the gasoline crisis, especially with the approaching peak consumption season in the summer.

The Joliet refinery is the third largest refinery in the Channahon area of Illinois, which also includes BP’s Whiting refinery and Citgo refinery. Together, these refineries represent approximately 885,000 barrels of daily refining capacity, equivalent to 10% of the total refining capacity in the United States.