client

Tesoro Corporation

location

Salt Lake City, Utah

Eastern Utah’s Uinta Basin contains significant reserves of black and yellow waxy crude oil. Because of its high paraffin content, waxy crude comes out of the ground in a gel-like form that makes transportation difficult and that few refineries can process. Refineries close to the basin, however, can purchase these crudes at a discount, and technological advances are making transportation and processing easier and less expensive.

For these reasons, Tesoro Corp. proposed adding a waxy-crude processing facility to its existing refinery in Salt Lake City. The company selected Barr to assist in applying for an air-quality approval order. 

Our engineers worked with refinery staff to develop a permitting strategy that would allow the project to comply with state and federal permitting standards without triggering the need for lengthy and expensive New Source Review. We then negotiated with the Utah Division of Air Quality (DAQ) to secure a prompt regulatory review. Tesoro received a draft approval order within five months of submitting the initial application.

Barr went on to support Tesoro in negotiating permit terms with the DAQ and in responding to public comments from environmental groups.