ALON USA Launches Production at New Low-Sulfur Gasoline Unit

abarrelfullabarrelfull wrote on 08 Nov 2012 08:48
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Dec. 15, 2003

Today, ALON USA representatives announced that its new $18 million low-sulfur gasoline unit officially started production this week at the Big Spring Refinery. The facility will allow ALON's Big Spring Refinery to produce lower sulfur motor fuels as part of its initiative to support regulatory requirements to help improve Texas air quality. Existing Big Spring Refinery employees will work at the new unit.
"We are committed to the clean fuels initiative that we introduced earlier this year when we first started construction of this new unit," said Jeff Morris, ALON USA President and CEO. "Producing cleaner-burning fuels can make a dramatic improvement in the air quality of non-attainment cities, like Dallas, as well as to other near non-attainment cities that market our gasoline throughout the Southwest region."

The Big Spring refining complex has a processing capability of 60,000 barrels per day, and plans are underway to produce a new low-sulfur diesel in mid-2006. Joe Concienne, Big Spring Refinery Manager, said that the $18 million investment in the new facility is the latest in a series of environmental upgrades made at the refinery over the last 20 years.

ALON's investment in clean fuels lowered the sulfur content by more than half in the gasoline it produced. This completes the first phase of a two-phase process to reduce gasoline sulfur to 30 PPM.

The refinery's desulphurization process will help the facility produce fuels that will comply with the requirements of automakers and the public in meeting new regulations to reduce the sulfur content in gasoline. The Big Spring Refinery's new lower sulfur gasoline will be supplied to more than 550 FINA branded locations through a distributor and direct retail network in the Southwest U.S.

"The investment in the Big Spring refining complex is one of our largest ever, and fully underscores ALON's ongoing commitment to the environment, the refinery, and the Big Spring community," said Concienne. "Many smaller refineries that can't meet these new requirements are closing," he said. "However we chose to make these significant enhancements to our facility, which will continue to strengthen our position as one of the most competitive independent refiners in the southwest. This project will mean cleaner burning fuels and better air quality for Big Spring residents and for all West Texans, and that's good news for everyone."

In a related matter, the Texas Workforce Development Board recently announced that the Big Spring Refinery has been selected as a winner of the 2003 Workforce Development Board Employer Award of Excellence. Representatives from ALON USA received the award on behalf of the Big Spring Refinery during the 7th Annual Texas Workforce Conference in Houston last month. The purpose of the award is to honor one business in each Workforce Development Area for their contributions to the Texas Workforce Network and the local community.


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