Tesoro Refineries
Kapolei Refinery / Tesoro Hawaii

Kapolei Refinery
Facts & Figures



Rated crude oil capacity:
94,000 barrels per day

Product slate:
Gasoline, gasoline blendstocks, jet fuel, diesel fuel, heavy fuel oils, liquefied petroleum gas, liquid asphalt, naphtha

Feedstocks:
Crude oils sourced primarily from the Middle East, Australia and Southeast Asia

Acreage and location:
131 acres, located at the southwestern tip of Oahu, Hawaii, about 22 miles west of Honolulu

Number of employees:
Approximately 600

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Tesoro Hawaii plays a key role in meeting the state's growing demand for energy, including its most pressing need: transportation fuels. Hawaii's isolated geographic location in the Pacific makes jet and marine fuels critical to powering the local economy, and Tesoro Hawaii rises to the challenge as the leading supplier of transportation fuels in the Islands.

Tesoro Hawaii, which operates the larger of the state’s two refineries, can process up to 94,000 barrels of crude oil per day to make such products as gasoline, diesel for vehicles and machinery, jet fuel, ship fuel and fuel oil for electrical generation.

In Hawaii, all crude oil must be imported since the Islands have no crude oil sources of their own. As energy demand continues to increase, Hawaii as well as the rest of the United States will need to responsibly harness every form of energy. Tesoro will continue to provide petroleumbased transportation fuels, particularly for air and sea travel, for which there are currently no viable alternatives.

With fewer refineries in operation today, efficiency must be a top priority. To keep pace with the demand in the Islands, Tesoro continues to explore ways to reduce energy costs and make prudent capital investments to process a diverse range of cost-effective crude oils. Tesoro Hawaii distributes refined products to customers on Oahu through company-owned and third-party pipeline systems that directly feed terminals at Honolulu International Airport and Honolulu Harbor. In addition, product pipelines connect the Tesoro Hawaii refinery in Kapolei to Kalaeloa Harbor (Barbers Point), where products are transferred to ships and barges to supply the neighbor islands. Gasoline and diesel are sold through a network of Tesoro-branded retail self-service stations on Oahu, Maui and the Big Island.

Health and Safety. Ensuring the safety of our employees, contractors and surrounding communities is one of our company’s core values and a foremost priority at Tesoro Hawaii. Safety is an integral part of everything we do, from the moment crude oil arrives at our offshore mooring at Barbers Point to the time our products are distributed to our customers.

The refinery’s in-house fire brigade stands ready to respond immediately to fire or rescue incidents. In addition to meeting the requirements of our own rigorous training programs, our personnel practice alongside Honolulu Fire Department firefighters. Tesoro Hawaii is also a member of the Campbell Local Emergency Action Network (CLEAN), which provides funds to the Honolulu Fire Department’s HazMat team for additional training in hazardous materials, ultimately benefiting the entire community.

Our commitment to safety at the refinery has provided outstanding results with multiple awards from the National Petroleum Refiners Association. In 2008, the Hawaii refinery received a Gold Award for a significant reduction in its total recordable incident rate (TRIR) for calendar year 2007 and a Merit Award for 2007. The refinery was also awarded two Safety Achievement Awards for going two consecutive years and 1.14 million employee hours without a day away from work (DAFW) injury. In 2007, Retail had a stellar year in safety performance with no DAFWs or OSHA recordable injuries.

Environment. Preserving the natural beauty of our Islands is important to us. Throughout our operations, we make environmental protection a priority in all policies and practices, including compliance with federal, state and local environmental regulations. Adherence to strict land, air and marine environmental laws requires a significant, ongoing investment in equipment and programs to ensure that potential environmental incidents are avoided. While the prevention of oil spills is always the goal, Tesoro Hawaii is prepared and ready to take action and minimize any impact to the environment should a spill occur. We conduct annual oil spill drills in collaboration with the U.S. Coast Guard, Hawaii Department of Health, Clean Islands Council, Marine Spill Response Corporation and other oil spill response organizations. In 2007, Tesoro Hawaii participated in the largest, most comprehensive dispersant applications drill in the United States to prepare for oil spill recovery. And in 2008, Hawaii was the first region to implement the National Incident Management System developed for an “All Risk-All Hazards” response.

Community. Programs that enrich our communities—for this generation and the next—are vital to our company. Tesoro Hawaii invests in a number of worthwhile initiatives, not only by providing financial support for nonprofit organizations, but also by encouraging employees to volunteer their time and expertise. Our contributions to the community reflect Tesoro’s deep commitment to doing the right thing.

We support education programs such as the Hawaii State Science and Engineering Fair and the annual statewide FIRST Lego League Competition. Our volunteers helped build the Tesoro Teen Center for the Leeward YMCA and collaborated with Family Programs Hawaii to open the first receiving home in West Oahu for abused children. We partnered with the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation and launched a comprehensive coral reef conservation campaign as part of the Hawaii International Year of the Reef celebration. This included the development of an integrated, enhanced curriculum designed for seventh grade public school students.

As part of Tesoro’s commitment to Special Olympics, more than 100 employees and their family members volunteer each year to take part in the Summer Games Opening Ceremonies, sponsored by Tesoro Hawaii. 

The company also conducts a Fueling Dreams fundraising campaign every year to support year-round training and Olympics-style competitions for Special Olympics Hawaii athletes.