As Refinery Deadline Nears, Selecting Buyer That Will Continue Refining Business Is Key to Maintaining Jobs
ConocoPhillips Has Made Progress in Sale of Facility But Reports Indicate Some Possible Buyers Would Idle Trainer Refinery
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) today called on ConocoPhillips to select a buyer that will continue the refinery business at its Trainer facility. As the deadline nears to sell the facility, ConocoPhillips has made progress on the sale but reports indicate some buyers would idle the refinery. In a letter to ConocoPhillps’ Chairman and CEO James Mulva, Casey urged the company to select a buyer that will maintain the refining business, thereby maximizing the numbers of jobs that will remain.
“The good news is that ConocoPhillips has made progress towards selling the Trainer refinery, but as we get to the finish line it’s crucial that the selected buyer continue the refining business,” Casey said. “The Trainer refinery is a key part of the country’s refining capacity and part of the economic engine of Southeastern Pennsylvania. Ensuring that Trainer remains a refining hub and an instrument of economic growth is essential.”
Southeastern Pennsylvania’s three refining plants represent more than half of the refining capacity in the northeastern United States. Idling the refineries could lead to economic hardship not only for the employees who would lose their jobs but also for those who might be impacted by rising heating oil prices.
The full text of Casey’s letter to ConocoPhillips can be seen below:
Mr. James J. Mulva
Chairman and CEO
ConocoPhillips
Dear Mr. Mulva:
I am pleased to hear of the progress ConcoPhillips has made in identifying interested parties for your Trainer, Pennsylvania refinery. I would like to reiterate my offer to help facilitate the smooth sale and transition of ownership.
It is my understanding that multiple parties are interested in the facility, each with potentially different visions for the Trainer facility. I am very concerned about preserving the employment and economic impact of this facility. If the Trainer facility were to become something less than a refinery, it could cost hundreds of direct jobs and hundreds more ancillary positions, with the economic benefits they bring. Therefore, I strongly believe that the Trainer facility should be sold to a buyer who intends to operate it as a refinery. Please weigh this carefully as you make your final decisions.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Robert P. Casey, Jr.
United States Senator
