Estimated read time: 1-2 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The Shell Oil Corp. has handed over ownership of its Bakersfield refinery to a privately held oil company based in Utah that operates truck stops.
Flying J Inc. purchased the facility in February and plans an expansion that would nearly double its gasoline output of 630,000 gallons a day and increase diesel production, currently at 840,000 gallons a day. The plant produces 2 percent of gasoline and 6 percent of diesel in California.
Shell and Flying J officials signed paperwork Tuesday that completed the sale.
Shell had intended to close the plant in October but opted for a sale after public officials expressed concerns over losing a fuel source.
Flying J cleared a final hurdle last week when it received a variance from the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District, giving the company until June 2006 to comply with emission rules, some of which take effect this June.
"We're officially the owners now," said Jeff Utley, senior vice president of Big West Oil, Flying J's refinery division.
Gene Cotten, who managed two Texas refineries owned by Valero Energy Corp. until 2003, was named lead manager of the Bakersfield refinery.
Flying J, which is based in Ogden, Utah, owns a small refinery in that state. It is the nation's largest supplier of diesel fuel.
(Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
