Largest AK Refinery Threatens To Close Unless State Ponies Up $100M

[hatrack]

ANCHORAGE - The owner of the state's largest crude oil refinery has threatened to close the plant unless the state grants it a major financial concession. Flint Hills Resources, operator of the refinery at North Pole, is asking for a contract change that could cost Alaska up to $100 million, state officials said.

Refinery executives worry the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission might lower tariffs early next year for transporting oil through the nearby trans-Alaska pipeline. Flint Hills buys oil from the state to run its refinery. Under its supply contract, Flint Hills would have to pay the state more if federal regulators lower the rates.

Flint Hills buys crude oil from the state, but gets to deduct the tariff from the price. A lowered tariff rate would be applied to the company's rates in past years, meaning it would have to make retroactive payments to the state. In a letter to the state this month, Flint Hills chief financial officer Anthony Sementelli asked that the supply contract be altered so that the retroactive payment wouldn't be required.

EDIT

State oil and gas director Bill Van Dyke, in a letter back to Flint Hills on Friday, declined the company's request. He said all parties, including Flint Hills, knew when the oil supply contract was negotiated in early 2004 that disputes before federal officials over pipeline tariffs were likely and could affect the oil price retroactively. The state and hired consultant also would need to examine financial information from Flint Hills to verify how much damage a back payment would do.

EDIT

http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/022706/sta_20060227010.shtml

[rkc3]

1. First of all...

When Dominion Peoples (here in PA) got a rate increase two years ago - I got stuck with a $1,200 bill retroactive to the date of filing for the increase - a big fuck you very much for being a customer.

Secondly - personal welfare = Bad/Evil/Librul BUT Corporate Welfare = Good, Compassionate Conservatism. (How this works out I'll never know.) I suspect they'll get the $100MM to keep the refinery in AK.