Fire Repairs Done, Chevron Waits to Reactivate Refinery

Chevron on Wednesday said that repairs at its Richmond refinery -- which caught fire last summer -- are completed, according to reports.

The refinery may be turned on by June, according to the Contra Costa Times -- but first Chevron must win over state regulators.

State regulators strongly criticized Chevron for 25 examples of unsafe maintenance at the refinery, and fined the company $1 million -- the maximum amount allowable under law.

The company did not replace the corroded pipe that ruptured and caused the fire, and Chevron did not "follow its own emergency shutdown procedures" and did not protect workers, regulators found.

 Chevron initially said it would have the unit back online by the end of March; analysts say the June start date means that the company is having trouble with the government regulators.

The refinery is current running at 60 percent of capacity.