United Refining Company
Encyclopedia
The United Refining Company is an oil company in Warren, Pennsylvania
. The company operates an oil refinery
in Warren that can process 70,000 barrels of oil
into gasoline
, diesel fuel and other petroleum
distillates per day. It distributes gasoline under the Kwik Fill, Citgo
, and Keystone brands.
acquired United Refining as a subsidiary of his Red Apple Group.
The refinery was expanded from 60000 oilbbl/d to 65000 oilbbl/d in 1982. It was expanded again to have a processing capacity of 70000 oilbbl/d in 2007.
chain called Country Fair, Inc. in Erie, Pennsylvania
. Country Fair has a license agreement with Citgo to use "Citgo's brands, trademarks and other forms of identification."
After Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez's speech to the United Nations
, there were calls to boycott
the Citgo brand. United Refining officials watched to see if the brand became "too hot to handle" and drop the brand name even though United Refinery's crude oil comes from Canada
. United Refining also removed some Citgo signs from gas stations they were operating in upstate New York
and Pennsylvania due to the potential threat of a boycott on Citgo.
to blend with gasoline in accordance with the Energy Policy Act
to save $
20 million in taxes in gasoline excise taxes.
s, totalling approximately 375 throughout upstate New York
, Pennsylvania
, and Northeast Ohio. The stores operate under the names Kwik Fill, Red Apple, or Country Fair.
Warren, Pennsylvania
Warren is a city in Warren County, Pennsylvania, United States, located along the Allegheny River. The population was 9,710 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Warren County. It is home to the headquarters of the Allegheny National Forest and the Cornplanter State Forest...
. The company operates an oil refinery
Oil refinery
An oil refinery or petroleum refinery is an industrial process plant where crude oil is processed and refined into more useful petroleum products, such as gasoline, diesel fuel, asphalt base, heating oil, kerosene, and liquefied petroleum gas...
in Warren that can process 70,000 barrels of oil
Oil
An oil is any substance that is liquid at ambient temperatures and does not mix with water but may mix with other oils and organic solvents. This general definition includes vegetable oils, volatile essential oils, petrochemical oils, and synthetic oils....
into gasoline
Gasoline
Gasoline , or petrol , is a toxic, translucent, petroleum-derived liquid that is primarily used as a fuel in internal combustion engines. It consists mostly of organic compounds obtained by the fractional distillation of petroleum, enhanced with a variety of additives. Some gasolines also contain...
, diesel fuel and other petroleum
Petroleum
Petroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights and other liquid organic compounds, that are found in geologic formations beneath the Earth's surface. Petroleum is recovered mostly through oil drilling...
distillates per day. It distributes gasoline under the Kwik Fill, Citgo
Citgo
CITGO Petroleum Corporation is a United States-incorporated, Venezuela-owned refiner, transporter and marketer of transportation fuels, lubricants, petrochemicals and other industrial products. The company is owned by PDV America, Inc., an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Petróleos de...
, and Keystone brands.
History
The United Refining Company was founded in 1902 by Harry Logan, Sr. Harry Logan, Jr. succeeded his father as president and chairman of the United Refining in 1957. In 1981, John CatsimatidisJohn Catsimatidis
John Catsimatidis b. 1948, is the owner, president, chairman, and CEO of the Red Apple Group and Gristedes Foods. He is also the chairman and CEO of the Red Apple Group subsidiary United Refining Company....
acquired United Refining as a subsidiary of his Red Apple Group.
The refinery was expanded from 60000 oilbbl/d to 65000 oilbbl/d in 1982. It was expanded again to have a processing capacity of 70000 oilbbl/d in 2007.
Citgo
United Refining acquired the brand name of Citgo, when in 2002 it bought a local gas station and convenience storeConvenience store
A convenience store, corner store, corner shop, commonly called a bodega in Spanish-speaking areas of the United States, is a small store or shop in a built up area that stocks a range of everyday items such as groceries, toiletries, alcoholic and soft drinks, and may also offer money order and...
chain called Country Fair, Inc. in Erie, Pennsylvania
Erie, Pennsylvania
Erie is a city located in northwestern Pennsylvania in the United States. Named for the lake and the Native American tribe that resided along its southern shore, Erie is the state's fourth-largest city , with a population of 102,000...
. Country Fair has a license agreement with Citgo to use "Citgo's brands, trademarks and other forms of identification."
2006 Chávez speech at the UN
On 20 September 2006, Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez delivered a speech to the United Nations General Assembly damning U.S. President George W. Bush, with particular focus on foreign policy...
, there were calls to boycott
Boycott
A boycott is an act of voluntarily abstaining from using, buying, or dealing with a person, organization, or country as an expression of protest, usually for political reasons...
the Citgo brand. United Refining officials watched to see if the brand became "too hot to handle" and drop the brand name even though United Refinery's crude oil comes from Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. United Refining also removed some Citgo signs from gas stations they were operating in upstate New York
Upstate New York
Upstate New York is the region of the U.S. state of New York that is located north of the core of the New York metropolitan area.-Definition:There is no clear or official boundary between Upstate New York and Downstate New York...
and Pennsylvania due to the potential threat of a boycott on Citgo.
Alternate energy
United Refining is looking for sources of ethanolEthanol
Ethanol, also called ethyl alcohol, pure alcohol, grain alcohol, or drinking alcohol, is a volatile, flammable, colorless liquid. It is a psychoactive drug and one of the oldest recreational drugs. Best known as the type of alcohol found in alcoholic beverages, it is also used in thermometers, as a...
to blend with gasoline in accordance with the Energy Policy Act
Energy Policy Act of 2005
The Energy Policy Act of 2005 is a bill passed by the United States Congress on July 29, 2005, and signed into law by President George W. Bush on August 8, 2005, at Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, New Mexico...
to save $
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
20 million in taxes in gasoline excise taxes.
Convenience stores
United Refining Company distributes its oil through its line of owned-and-operated convenience storeConvenience store
A convenience store, corner store, corner shop, commonly called a bodega in Spanish-speaking areas of the United States, is a small store or shop in a built up area that stocks a range of everyday items such as groceries, toiletries, alcoholic and soft drinks, and may also offer money order and...
s, totalling approximately 375 throughout upstate New York
Upstate New York
Upstate New York is the region of the U.S. state of New York that is located north of the core of the New York metropolitan area.-Definition:There is no clear or official boundary between Upstate New York and Downstate New York...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, and Northeast Ohio. The stores operate under the names Kwik Fill, Red Apple, or Country Fair.