The Limetree Bay oil refinery in the U.S. Virgin Islands, long under environmental and financial pressure, said this week it would close indefinitely.

Citing “severe financial” hardship, owner Limetree Bay Energy said it had suspended plans to restart the 210,000 b/d facility on the island of St. Croix. The refinery has been offline since May 12, when the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a 60-day suspension to review pollution complaints.

Limetree was “working to obtain capital to assist in its restart efforts,” the company said in a statement on its website. However, it “has been unable to secure the necessary funding” and is  laying off the refinery’s 271 employees.

“This was an extremely difficult decision for us, and we are truly saddened...