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Questerre Shuts Brazil Oil Shale Facility After Pipe Failure

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Questerre Energy said on Monday it had temporarily halted operations at its PX Energy oil shale processing facility in southern Brazil after a pipe failure in the furnace, as the energy firm pursues repairs and upgrades.

The Canadian energy firm expects the facility to remain offline for three to four weeks, resulting in lost production and revenue. It estimates direct costs for the corrective work at about CA$1.5 million ($1.1 million).

Questerre said it would use the unplanned shutdown to carry out additional maintenance aimed at boosting production by addressing operational inefficiencies that emerged after the facility's scheduled turnaround in 2025.

The energy firm said the improvements are projected to enhance operating efficiency and increase production rates once the plant resumes operations.

Questerre said that stronger output over the following three to six months could help offset the costs and lost revenue associated with the shutdown. However, it cautioned there was no guarantee those gains would be achieved.

However, despite the unscheduled outage, Questerre maintains its timeline for its next major scheduled plant turnaround in May 2027, citing long lead times required for replacement components.

The company said it will provide further updates upon the completion of the current maintenance work.

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