Shell Sells Washington Puget Sound Refinery To HollyFrontier

Rhea-AI Summary

Equilon Enterprises LLC, doing business as Shell Oil Products U.S., has finalized a deal to sell its Puget Sound Refinery in Anacortes, Washington, to a subsidiary of HollyFrontier Corporation for $350 million plus the value of hydrocarbon inventory. The transaction, expected to close in Q4 2021, aligns with Shell's strategy to optimize its refinery portfolio by focusing on core sites. The refinery processes about 149,000 barrels of crude oil daily and produces various fuels and chemicals. This divestment is part of Shell's commitment to transitioning towards low-carbon products.

Positive

• Sale of Puget Sound Refinery for $350 million plus hydrocarbon inventory value enhances cash flow.
• Divestment aligns with Shell's strategy to focus on integrated core sites and low-carbon production.

Negative

• None.

HOUSTON, May 4, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Equilon Enterprises LLC d/b/a Shell Oil Products U.S. (Shell), a subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell plc, has reached an agreement for the sale of its Puget Sound Refinery near Anacortes, Washington to a subsidiary of HollyFrontier Corporation, an independent refiner headquartered in Texas (HollyFrontier), for $350 million in cash plus the value of the hydrocarbon inventory. The transaction is expected to close in Q4 2021, subject to regulatory clearance and other customary closing conditions.

The divestment is part of Shell's strategy to reduce its global refinery footprint to core sites integrated with the company's trading hubs, chemicals plants and marketing businesses. These high-value energy and chemical parks will produce more low-carbon fuels and speciality chemicals for our customers.

"This is another step towards reshaping our refining portfolio to drive resilient returns," said Robin Mooldijk, Shell's EVP for Manufacturing. "HollyFrontier is a strong operator and we believe they will continue the refinery's legacy of prioritizing safety, environmental performance and care for people at the site and within the community."

The agreement covers the sale of Shell's Puget Sound Refinery, the on-site cogeneration facility and the associated logistics infrastructure, as well as the product offtake agreements in support of Shell's existing retail marketing business in the Pacific Northwest. Shell's off-site logistics assets are excluded from the sale.

Shell thanks the Anacortes community for being great neighbors over the past several decades, as well as our numerous community partners across Skagit County for the many years of connection, collaboration and support.

Notes to Editors

• The Puget Sound Refinery is currently designed to process approximately 149,000 barrels per day of crude oil. The refinery produces multiple types of gasoline in addition to fuel oil, diesel fuel, propane, jet fuel, butane and petroleum coke. It also produces nonene and tetramer, which are chemicals used in a variety of plastic products.
• The hydrocarbon inventory will be valued at closing based on actual volumes and prevailing market prices. The current value of the hydrocarbon inventory would range from $150 to $180 million assuming current market prices and historic inventory volumes under normal operating conditions.
• As this deal progresses towards closing, our Goal Zero safety program will remain in full effect, with a focus on a safe transition and care for our employees throughout this time of change.
• All employees providing dedicated support to Shell's Puget Sound Refinery will be offered employment with HollyFrontier.

Cautionary Note

The companies in which Royal Dutch Shell plc directly and indirectly owns investments are separate legal entities. In this press release "Shell", "Shell Group" and "Group" are sometimes used for convenience where references are made to Royal Dutch Shell plc and its subsidiaries in general. Likewise, the words "we", "us" and "our" are also used to refer to Royal Dutch Shell plc and its subsidiaries in general or to those who work for them. These terms are also used where no useful purpose is served by identifying the particular entity or entities. ''Subsidiaries'', "Shell subsidiaries" and "Shell companies" as used in this press release refer to entities over which Royal Dutch Shell plc either directly or indirectly has control. Entities and unincorporated arrangements over which Shell has joint control are generally referred to as "joint ventures" and "joint operations", respectively.  Entities over which Shell has significant influence but neither control nor joint control are referred to as "associates". The term "Shell interest" is used for convenience to indicate the direct and/or indirect ownership interest held by Shell in an entity or unincorporated joint arrangement, after exclusion of all third-party interest. 

This press release contains forward-looking statements (within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995) concerning the financial condition, results of operations and businesses of Royal Dutch Shell. All statements other than statements of historical fact are, or may be deemed to be, forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements of future expectations that are based on management's current expectations and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, performance or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied in these statements. Forward-looking statements include, among other things, statements concerning the potential exposure of Royal Dutch Shell to market risks and statements expressing management's expectations, beliefs, estimates, forecasts, projections and assumptions. These forward-looking statements are identified by their use of terms and phrases such as "aim", "ambition", ''anticipate'', ''believe'', ''could'', ''estimate'', ''expect'', ''goals'', ''intend'', ''may'', ''objectives'', ''outlook'', ''plan'', ''probably'', ''project'', ''risks'', "schedule", ''seek'', ''should'', ''target'', ''will'' and similar terms and phrases. There are a number of factors that could affect the future operations of Royal Dutch Shell and could cause those results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements included in this press release , including (without limitation): (a) price fluctuations in crude oil and natural gas; (b) changes in demand for Shell's products; (c) currency fluctuations; (d) drilling and production results; (e) reserves estimates; (f) loss of market share and industry competition; (g) environmental and physical risks; (h) risks associated with the identification of suitable potential acquisition properties and targets, and successful negotiation and completion of such transactions; (i) the risk of doing business in developing countries and countries subject to international sanctions; (j) legislative, fiscal and regulatory developments including regulatory measures addressing climate change; (k) economic and financial market conditions in various countries and regions; (l) political risks, including the risks of expropriation and renegotiation of the terms of contracts with governmental entities, delays or advancements in the approval of projects and delays in the reimbursement for shared costs; (m) risks associated with the impact of pandemics, such as the COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak; and (n) changes in trading conditions. No assurance is provided that future dividend payments will match or exceed previous dividend payments. All forward-looking statements contained in this press release are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements contained or referred to in this section. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Additional risk factors that may affect future results are contained in Royal Dutch Shell's Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2020 (available at www.shell.com/investor and www.sec.gov). These risk factors also expressly qualify all forward-looking statements contained in this press release and should be considered by the reader.  Each forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of this press release, May 4, 2021. Neither Royal Dutch Shell plc nor any of its subsidiaries undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events or other information. In light of these risks, results could differ materially from those stated, implied or inferred from the forward-looking statements contained in this press release.

We may have used certain terms, such as resources, in this press release that the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) strictly prohibits us from including in our filings with the SEC.  Investors are urged to consider closely the disclosure in our Form 20-F, File No 1-32575, available on the SEC website www.sec.gov. 

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SOURCE Shell Oil Company

FAQ

What is the value of the agreement for the Puget Sound Refinery by Shell?

The agreement is valued at $350 million plus the value of the hydrocarbon inventory.

When is the expected closing date for the Shell and HollyFrontier deal?

The transaction is expected to close in Q4 2021, subject to regulatory approval.

What is the daily processing capacity of the Puget Sound Refinery?

The Puget Sound Refinery is designed to process approximately 149,000 barrels of crude oil per day.

Why is Shell selling its Puget Sound Refinery?

The sale is part of Shell's strategy to reduce its global refinery footprint and focus on producing low-carbon fuels.

What types of products does the Puget Sound Refinery produce?

It produces various fuels including gasoline, diesel, propane, jet fuel, and chemicals used in plastics.