West Coast Transportation 

Fuels Markets

September 2015

Independent Statistics & Analysis

www.eia.gov

U.S. Department of Energy

Washington, DC 20585
U.S. Energy Information Administration | PADD 5 Transportation Fuels Markets i

This report was prepared by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), the statistical and 

analytical agency within the U.S. Department of Energy. By law, EIA’s data, analyses, and forecasts are 

independent of approval by any other officer or employee of the United States Government. The views 

in this report therefore should not be construed as representing those of the U.S. Department of Energy 

or other federal agencies.
U.S. Energy Information Administration | PADD 5 Transportation Fuels Markets ii

Table of Contents

Introduction ..................................................................................................................................................1

Executive Summary.......................................................................................................................................3

Southern California and Southern Nevada..............................................................................................6

Northern California and Northern Nevada..............................................................................................7

Pacific Northwest.....................................................................................................................................8

Arizona.....................................................................................................................................................9

Hawaii ....................................................................................................................................................10

Alaska.....................................................................................................................................................11

PADD 5 Overview........................................................................................................................................13

Transportation fuels supply...................................................................................................................13

Product specifications............................................................................................................................15

Market structure....................................................................................................................................18

Southern California and Southern Nevada .................................................................................................21

Supply and logistics................................................................................................................................22

Motor gasoline supply/demand ............................................................................................................24

Distillate fuel supply/demand................................................................................................................25

Jet fuel supply/demand .........................................................................................................................26

Renewable fuels and biofuels supply/demand .....................................................................................26

Retail markets........................................................................................................................................27

Northern California and Northern Nevada .................................................................................................28

Supply and logistics................................................................................................................................28

Motor gasoline supply/demand ............................................................................................................31

Distillate fuel supply/demand................................................................................................................32

Jet fuel supply/demand .........................................................................................................................33

Renewable fuels and biofuels supply/demand .....................................................................................33

Retail markets........................................................................................................................................34

Pacific Northwest........................................................................................................................................35

Supply and logistics................................................................................................................................35

Motor gasoline supply/demand ............................................................................................................38

Distillate fuel supply/demand................................................................................................................39
U.S. Energy Information Administration | PADD 5 Transportation Fuels Markets iii

Jet fuel supply/demand .........................................................................................................................40

Renewable fuels and biofuels supply/demand .....................................................................................40

Retail markets........................................................................................................................................41

Arizona ........................................................................................................................................................42

Supply and logistics................................................................................................................................42

Motor gasoline supply/demand ............................................................................................................43

Distillate fuel supply/demand................................................................................................................45

Jet fuel supply/demand .........................................................................................................................46

Renewable fuels and biofuels supply/demand .....................................................................................46

Retail market .........................................................................................................................................47

Hawaii .........................................................................................................................................................48

Supply and logistics................................................................................................................................48

Motor gasoline supply/demand ............................................................................................................51

Distillate fuel supply/demand................................................................................................................52

Jet fuel supply/demand .........................................................................................................................53

Renewable fuels and biofuels supply/demand .....................................................................................53

Retail market .........................................................................................................................................54

Alaska ..........................................................................................................................................................55

Supply and logistics................................................................................................................................55

Motor gasoline supply/demand ............................................................................................................58

Distillate fuel supply/demand................................................................................................................59

Jet fuel supply/demand .........................................................................................................................60

Renewable fuels and biofuels supply/demand .....................................................................................60

Retail market .........................................................................................................................................61
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Tables

Table 1. Transportation fuels consumption within PADD 5: regional market breakdown.........................13

Table 2. PADD 5 gasoline specifications .....................................................................................................16

Table 3. Ethanol producers and production by state .................................................................................17

Table 4. Biodiesel producers and capacity by state...................................................................................18

Table 6. Northern California and Northern Nevada refineries...................................................................29

Table 7. Pacific Northwest refineries..........................................................................................................36

Table 8. Hawaii refineries ...........................................................................................................................49

Table 9. Alaska refineries............................................................................................................................56
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Figures

Figure 1. Petroleum Administration for Defense Districts (PADDs) .............................................................1

Figure 2. Petroleum product supply and refining capacity by PADD............................................................4

Figure 3. PADD 5 marine movements...........................................................................................................5

Figure 4. PADD 5 2013 average regional transportation fuel demand by product ......................................6

Figure 5. PADD 5 mainland refineries and product flows...........................................................................14

Figure 6. PADD 5 2013 supply/demand balance ........................................................................................15

Figure 7. Gasoline market structure ...........................................................................................................19

Figure 8. Southern California and Southern Nevada 2013 supply/demand balances................................21

Figure 9. Southern California and Southern Nevada refineries and petroleum product flows..................23

Figure 10. Southern California and Southern Nevada motor gasoline supply/demand balance ...............24

Figure 11. Southern California and Southern Nevada distillate supply/demand balance..........................25

Figure 12. Southern California and Southern Nevada jet fuel supply/demand balance............................26

Figure 13. Southern California and Southern Nevada retail market structure...........................................27

Figure 14. Northern California and Northern Nevada 2013 supply/demand balance ...............................28

Figure 15. Northern California and Northern Nevada refineries and petroleum product flows................30

Figure 16. Northern California and Northern Nevada motor gasoline supply/demand balance...............31

Figure 17. Northern California and Northern Nevada distillate supply/demand balance .........................32

Figure 18. Northern California and Northern Nevada jet fuel supply/demand balance............................33

Figure 19. Northern California and Northern Nevada retail market structure ..........................................34

Figure 20. Pacific Northwest 2013 supply/demand balance ......................................................................35

Figure 21. Pacific Northwest refineries and petroleum product flows ......................................................37

Figure 22. Pacific Northwest motor gasoline supply/demand balance......................................................38

Figure 23. Pacific Northwest distillate supply/demand balance ................................................................39

Figure 24. Pacific Northwest jet fuel supply/demand balance...................................................................40

Figure 25. Pacific Northwest retail market structure .................................................................................41

Figure 26. Arizona 2013 supply/demand balance ......................................................................................42

Figure 27. Arizona petroleum product flows..............................................................................................43

Figure 28. Arizona motor gasoline supply/demand balance ......................................................................44

Figure 29. Arizona distillate supply/demand balance.................................................................................45

Figure 30. Arizona jet fuel supply/demand balance ...................................................................................46

Figure 31. Arizona retail market structure..................................................................................................47

Figure 32. Hawaii 2013 supply/demand balance........................................................................................48

Figure 33. Hawaii refineries and petroleum product flows........................................................................50

Figure 34. Hawaii gasoline supply/demand balance ..................................................................................51

Figure 35. Hawaii distillate fuel supply/demand balance...........................................................................52

Figure 36. Hawaii jet fuel supply/demand balance ....................................................................................53

Figure 37. Hawaii retail market structure...................................................................................................54

Figure 38. Alaska 2013 supply/demand balance ........................................................................................55

Figure 39. Alaska refineries and petroleum product flows.........................................................................57

Figure 40. Alaska motor gasoline supply/demand balance........................................................................58
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Figure 41. Alaska distillate fuel supply/demand balance ...........................................................................59

Figure 42. Alaska jet fuel supply/demand balance.....................................................................................60

Figure 43. Alaska retail market structure ...................................................................................................61
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U.S. Energy Information Administration | PADD 5 Transportation Fuels Markets 1

Introduction

This study examines supply, demand, and distribution of transportation fuels in Petroleum 

Administration for Defense District (PADD) 5, a region that includes the western states of California, 

Arizona, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Alaska, and Hawaii. For this study, transportation fuels include

gasoline, diesel fuel, and jet fuel.

This study is the first in a series of studies that the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) plans to 

conduct to inform its analyses of petroleum product markets, especially during periods of supply 

disruption and market change.

Figure 1. Petroleum Administration for Defense Districts (PADDs)

Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration

This study examines transportation fuels supply, demand, and distribution at both the PADD level and 

for specific areas within the PADD, which are referred to as sub-PADD regions in this analysis. PADD 5 

covers a large and diverse geography, and supply/demand balances and supply patterns vary within the 

region. The study identified six distinct regional markets within PADD 5: Southern California and 

Southern Nevada; Northern California and Northern Nevada; Pacific Northwest, which includes 

Washington and Oregon; Arizona; Hawaii; and Alaska.
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For each of these regional markets as well as for PADD 5 as a whole, the study considers demand, 

supply, supply patterns, and distribution infrastructure, using 2013 as a base year and taking into 

account expected changes in balances and infrastructure in subsequent years. Demand includes inregion consumption, transfers of fuels to other parts of the United States (other PADDs) and to other 

regional markets within PADD 5, and exports to the global market. Supply includes in-region refinery 

production, receipts of fuels produced in other U.S. regions and other PADD 5 regional markets, and 

imports. Distribution infrastructure includes storage terminals, pipelines, rail facilities, marine loading 

and unloading facilities, and marine vessel availability.

EIA retained Stillwater Associates, an Irvine, California-based transportation fuels consultant, to conduct 

the research and analysis for the PADD 5 study. Stillwater analyzed data and information from EIA, the 

California Energy Commission (CEC), the Army Corps of Engineers Waterborne Commerce Statistics 

Center, and publicly available data from various sources. 

Additional studies are planned to analyze PADD 5 crude supply, PADD 1 (East Coast), and PADD 3 (Gulf 

Coast) transportation fuels markets, and PADD 2 (Midwest) and PADD 4 (Rocky Mountains) 

transportation fuels markets. 
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Executive Summary

In 2013, PADD 5 accounted for 17%, or 1.5 million barrels/day (b/d), of total U.S. gasoline consumption, 

13%, or 494,000 b/d, of distillate (including diesel fuel) consumption, and about 30%, or 430,000 b/d, of 

jet fuel consumption. Consumption varies across PADD 5 and is concentrated in California.

PADD 5 transportation fuels markets have features that often result in significant and persistent 

increases in prices in the wake of supply disruptions. The region is geographically isolated from other 

U.S. refining centers, notably the Gulf Coast, where 52% of U.S. refining capacity is located, and from 

global refining centers that can efficiently supply product to the U.S. East Coast (PADD 1). In addition, 

although pipelines can move products from the Gulf Coast as far north as New York Harbor on the East 

Coast, there are no pipelines that cross the Rocky Mountains to move product to the mainland states of 

PADD 5 from the Midwest, and only limited pipelines that deliver from the Gulf Coast to the southern 

regions of PADD 5 and from the small refineries in PADD 4 to the eastern regions of PADD 5. The West 

Coast is 10 days travel by tanker from the U.S. Gulf Coast, three weeks from Asia, and more than four 

weeks from Europe. Pipeline and marine infrastructure, as well as vessel availability to move product 

within PADD 5, are also limited.

Across PADD 5, specifications for motor gasoline and diesel fuel vary state-to-state and even within 

some states, making it difficult to cover product shortfall in one area with supply from another. In 

addition, some product specifications, like those for the California Air Resources Board (CARB) gasoline 

and diesel fuel, are difficult and costly to manufacture, and not all refineries in PADD 5, much less 

elsewhere in the United States or the rest of the world, can make such products. Even when refineries 

outside PADD 5 can manufacture product to meet these specifications, supplies generally are not kept 

on hand, further limiting resupply options when disruptions occur. 

Because PADD 5 is isolated, in-region refineries are the primary source of transportation fuels for PADD 

5. In 2013, PADD 5 refinery production was sufficient to cover about 91% of in-region motor gasoline 

demand, 96% of jet demand, and 113% of distillate demand. Heavy reliance on in-region production 

further complicates the supply chain when disruptions occur. When disruptions occur, all of these 

factors noted above combine to limit short-term supply options, lengthen the duration of supply 

disruptions, and cause prices to increase and remain higher for a longer period than would be typical in 

markets outside PADD 5.

The recent increase in gasoline prices on the West Coast following a series of supply disruptions that 

started with an unplanned refinery outage in February at a Southern California refinery provides a case 

in point. On February 18, an explosion and fire occurred at the third-largest refinery in Southern 

California. West Coast product markets reacted immediately to the potential loss of supply from the 

refinery, and spot gasoline prices quickly increased. The rapid price response is not unusual and is 

similar to what happened following past unplanned outages in that region. In the five weeks following 

the outage, West Coast total motor gasoline inventories decreased by 3.0 million barrels (10%), and 

remained below the five-year average for most weeks through August. Inventories provide an 

immediate, although limited, source of alternative supply but typically are insufficient to offset a 

prolonged market disruption. With limited resupply options from within the region and from within the 
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U.S. Energy Information Administration | PADD 5 Transportation Fuels Markets 4

United States, imports increased to replace in-region production. Because the refinery outage has not 

yet been resolved as of the writing of this report, PADD 5 has continued to rely on imports, which has 

lengthened the supply chain, making the region more susceptible to shipping delays and other supply 

chain disruptions. Gasoline prices on the West Coast increased sharply again in early July when, 

according to trade press, shipping delays caused gasoline cargoes destined for the West Coast to arrive 

later than anticipated. In addition, PADD 5 gasoline demand was up 4% in the first six months of 2015 

compared with the same time last year, putting additional pressure on the supply chain.

There are 22 operating refineries in Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, and Arizona, the mainland 

states of PADD 5. These refineries, which have total atmospheric distillation unit (ADU) capacity of 2.5 

million barrels per calendar day (b/cd), are located primarily in and around Los Angeles and San 

Francisco, California, and Puget Sound in Washington. There are two operating refineries in Hawaii with 

combined crude distillation processing capacity of 147,500 b/cd and five operating refineries in Alaska 

with combined crude distillation capacity of 165,200 b/cd. 

Figure 2. Petroleum product supply and refining capacity by PADD

million barrels per day

Note: Refinery capacity is in barrels per calendar day.

Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration
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This study identified six distinct sub-PADD regional markets within PADD 5, each of which is 

characterized by different supply patterns for transportation fuels and each of which interacts 

differently with the other regions within PADD 5 and the global markets. The six regions are:

 Southern California and Southern Nevada

 Northern California and Northern Nevada

 Arizona

 Pacific Northwest, which includes Washington and Oregon

 Alaska

 Hawaii

PADD 5 is just not one market for transportation fuels, but rather six distinct regional markets. These six 

regional markets vary significantly in demand, how transportation fuels are supplied, especially the 

share of supply provided by in-region refineries, and product distribution patterns. Because there is 

limited pipeline infrastructure connecting the six regional markets, marine movements within PADD 5 

play a key role in moving transportation fuels from regions with excess supply to regions with supply 

shortfalls. As a result, marine vessels are generally highly utilized, and there is minimal capacity to 

increase intraregional shipments to manage supply disruptions.

Figure 3. PADD 5 marine movements
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Figure 4. PADD 5 2013 average regional transportation fuel demand by product

thousand barrels per day

Source: Stillwater Associates analysis of EIA data

Southern California and Southern Nevada

The Southern California and Southern Nevada (SCSN) region includes the southernmost counties of 

California1 as well as the Las Vegas metropolitan area of Southern Nevada. The region accounts for more 

than 40% of total PADD 5 motor gasoline demand, and about 7% of total U.S. demand. Because of the 

many military air bases and large commercial aviation hubs, jet fuel demand in the SCSN region accounts 

for about 45% of total PADD 5 jet fuel demand and 14% of U.S. demand. SCSN accounts for 32% of total 

PADD 5 distillate fuel demand, which is about 4% of U.S. demand.

A combination of in-region refinery production, marine-delivered fuels produced at refineries in 

Northern California and Washington, receipts of fuels produced at refineries in other PADDs, and 

imports from the global market supply the SCSN region with transportation fuels. The regional refineries 

do not produce sufficient gasoline or jet fuel to meet in-region demand but produce more distillate than 

is consumed in the region. In-region refinery production is supplemented with marine deliveries of

product from refineries in Northern California and Washington as well as imports from the global 

market. Transportation fuels produced at SCSN refineries also supply Arizona, and some are exported 

into the global market. Exports are primarily distillate fuel, which might not meet region specifications. 

There are eight operating refineries in the Southern California and Southern Nevada region. In 2013, 

SCSN refineries produced a total of 526,800 b/d of gasoline, 182,500 b/d of distillate, and 178,100 b/d of 

 

1 The southernmost counties of California are Imperial, Kern, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San 

Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura.
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jet fuel, production sufficient to supply 87% of regional motor gasoline demand, 117% of total distillate

fuel demand, and 92% of jet fuel demand. 

Production from the refineries moves primarily by pipeline from the Los Angeles area to bulk storage 

and distribution terminals throughout the SCSN region. From terminals, product moves by tank truck to 

retail outlets. Product from the Los Angeles area is also shipped by pipeline to Arizona, reducing the 

product available to supply SCSN demand, which is particularly important for gasoline. Transportation 

fuels produced at refineries in Salt Lake City, Utah, in PADD 4, also supply SCSN.

Refineries, pipelines, ports, and storage facilities are all critical to the effective functioning of the 

petroleum supply chain. However, in the SCSN region, Watson Station, a pipeline hub in Carson, 

California, is particularly important. Product from many of the region's refineries must move through 

Watson Station to reach bulk storage and distribution facilities. Power outages and earthquakes can 

affect the region’s infrastructure.

There are about 27 distinct branded companies participating in the retail market for gasoline and 

distillate fuel in the Southern California and Southern Nevada region. About 76% of retail outlets are

branded, meaning that they are associated with and display a major oil company brand, like Chevron, 

Shell, 76, Valero, and ARCO. The remaining 24% of retail outlets are referred to as unbranded because 

they are not affiliated with a major oil company brand. Unbranded retailers include small independent 

retailers as well as big box retailers. In California as a whole, 79% of retail outlets are associated with a 

major brand, while 21% are unbranded. 

Northern California and Northern Nevada

The Northern California and Northern Nevada region (NCNN) includes counties in California north of San 

Luis Obispo, Kern, and San Bernardino counties, and in Nevada north of Las Vegas. In 2013, with average 

motor gasoline demand of 412,000 b/d, the region accounted for 27% of total PADD 5 motor gasoline 

demand and 5% of U.S. motor gasoline demand. NCNN distillate demand of 125,000 b/d in 2013 

accounted for 25% of PADD 5 demand and 3% of U.S. demand. NCNN jet fuel demand averaged 88,000 

b/d in 2013, 21% of PADD 5 demand and 6% of U.S. demand.

The region is supplied by in-region refinery production, and refineries in the region produce more motor 

gasoline, jet fuel, and diesel fuel than is consumed in the region. As a result, NCNN supplies other 

regional markets in PADD 5, primarily Southern California and Southern Nevada, with motor gasoline, jet 

fuel, and diesel fuel, and also exports these products. In 2013, the region exported 22,100 b/d of 

gasoline, 2,300 b/d of jet fuel, and 52,400 b/d of distillate fuel, primarily to Central America and South 

America.

There are nine operating refineries in two primary refining centers in the Northern California and 

Northern Nevada region. Only one of the refineries is located outside California, and it primarily 

produces asphalt. Most of the California refining capacity in the NCNN region is in the San Francisco Bay 

area. Several smaller refineries are located in California’s Central Valley. 

In 2013, NCNN refineries produced an average of 421,000 b/d of motor gasoline and motor gasoline 

blending components, 185,000 b/d of distillate, and 96,000 b/d of jet fuel. This production was more 
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than sufficient to meet in-region demand. NCNN refineries produced product sufficient to meet 102% of 

regional demand for finished motor gasoline,

2 108% of jet fuel demand, and 147% of diesel fuel 

demand. Production from refineries in Northern California regularly supplies parts of Southern California 

and Oregon by marine vessel. 

Product is shipped by pipeline from the refineries in San Francisco to storage and distribution terminals 

in the San Francisco area and further inland to Fresno and Chico, California, and to Nevada. No pipelines 

connect the NCNN region to other PADDs or other PADD 5 regional markets, and, as a result, supply 

from NCNN to those areas moves by marine vessel. The major port facilities through which products are 

exported into the global market and from which products are shipped to other PADD 5 regional markets 

are located on the San Francisco Bay.

Critical supply chain infrastructure includes the refineries, pipelines, ports, and storage facilities of the 

San Francisco Bay area. In particular, the Concord pipeline junction is the gathering and entry point for 

the main pipeline distribution artery for the region. Power outages and earthquakes can affect the 

region’s infrastructure, and heavy fog can disrupt the port facilities on the San Francisco Bay.

In the Northern California/Northern Nevada region, 80% of retail outlets are branded and 20% are 

unbranded. In Northern California, about 21 companies participate in the retail market for gasoline and 

diesel fuel as compared with about 12 in the Reno/Carson City market. In Northern California, major oil 

company branded outlets dominate the retail sector, and the top five brands have 76% of the number of 

retail outlets. A mix of branded and unbranded retail outlets characterizes the Reno/Carson City market. 

Pacific Northwest

The Pacific Northwest region (PNW) includes the states of Oregon and Washington. In 2013, with 

277,300 b/d of motor gasoline demand, the region accounted for 18% of total PADD 5 motor gasoline 

demand and 3% of total U.S. demand. At 111,400 b/d, PNW demand for distillate fuel was 23% of PADD 

5 demand and 3% of U.S. demand. Jet fuel demand in the Pacific Northwest averaged 51,400 b/d in 

2013, 12% of PADD 5 demand and 4% of U.S. demand.

The region is supplied by a combination of in-region refinery production, imports, and receipts of 

product manufactured at refineries outside PADD 5. Refineries in the PNW produce about as much 

gasoline as is consumed in the region, but considerably more than enough distillate and jet fuel than is 

needed to meet in-region demand. The region supplies distillate fuel and jet fuel to the global market 

and to other regions within PADD 5 and exports motor gasoline. The PNW also imports motor gasoline 

and a small amount of distillate. The combination of imports and exports is used to manage distribution 

system inefficiencies and gasoline grade imbalances. The PNW typically does not receive product from 

other regions within PADD 5. In 2013, the region exported 26,000 b/d of motor gasoline, 26,800 b/d of 

jet fuel, and 43,200 b/d of distillate fuel, primarily to Canada, Mexico, Central America, and South 

America.

 

2 Finished motor gasoline includes gasoline blendstock produced by refineries and 10% ethanol.
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There are five operating refineries in the Pacific Northwest region, located in and around Puget Sound, 

Washington. There are no refineries in Oregon or eastern Washington. 

In 2013, PNW refineries produced an average of 253,400 b/d of motor gasoline and motor gasoline 

blending components, 154,100 b/d of distillate fuel, and 83,600 b/d of jet fuel. This production was 

sufficient to meet 102% of regional demand for motor gasoline, 163% of jet fuel demand, and 140% of 

diesel fuel demand. Production from refineries in Washington regularly supplies Alaska and California. 

Product is shipped from the refineries by pipeline north and south to supply Portland, Oregon, and 

Seattle, Washington, and product is shipped by marine vessel to supply the global markets and other 

regions within PADD 5. Many of the Portland storage and distribution terminals have access to the 

Columbia River and can ship and receive product by marine vessel. Each of the five refineries also has 

associated dock infrastructure for loading and discharging marine vessels, which supports imports and 

exports of petroleum products. 

Product moves from storage and distribution terminals in Portland south to Eugene, Oregon by pipeline. 

Distribution infrastructure to move product from the western portions of Washington and Oregon 

eastward is limited. The only connection between the western and eastern portions of the region is 

marine transport along the Columbia River. There is no pipeline infrastructure to move product across 

the Cascade Range of mountains. As a result, eastern Washington is supplied with product from

refineries in PADD 4. Product moves by pipeline from Salt Lake City, Utah, into eastern Washington and 

Oregon, and from refineries in Billings, Montana, into eastern Washington. 

Critical infrastructure in the region includes the refinery complexes, pipelines, storage and distribution 

terminals, and the marine facilities at refineries and terminals, notably those along the Columbia River. 

Weather can disrupt the region’s marine facilities. The Olympic pipeline, which runs from Puget Sound, 

Washington, to Portland, Oregon, is the main north-south corridor for petroleum product transportation 

in the region. Disruptions to flows on the Olympic pipeline can have a major effect on regional supply. 

Many of the storage and distribution terminals connected to the pipeline lack other supply options. As a 

result, during supply disruptions product typically supplied from these terminals may need to be 

sourced from other terminals, which can increase supply costs and therefore prices. 

The Pacific Northwest has a slightly higher percentage of branded outlets compared to PADD 5 overall.

The region has about 25 branded retailers, with 77% of retail stations selling branded fuels compared to 

the PADD 5 average of 72%. Brands in the Pacific Northwest include Chevron, Shell, 76, Conoco, and 

ARCO along with Pilot, Costco, and Sam's Club.

Arizona

Arizona accounts for 11% of PADD 5 demand for motor gasoline, 3% of demand for jet fuel, and 10% of 

distillate fuel demand. There are no petroleum refineries in Arizona, and the region is supplied with 

product by pipelines that originate in Southern California and West Texas. In 2013, the region consumed 

161,500 b/d of motor gasoline, 14,600 b/d of jet fuel, and 50,600 b/d of distillate fuel.

The Kinder Morgan East Line originates in El Paso, Texas, and consists of two parallel pipelines that end

in Phoenix, Arizona. Refineries in West Texas and New Mexico supply product into the East Line for 
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delivery to four storage and distribution terminals in Phoenix and two in Tucson, Arizona. The Kinder 

Morgan West Line runs from Watson in the Los Angeles Basin to Phoenix, Arizona, and delivers product

into storage and distribution terminals in Phoenix.

The two pipelines of the East Line operate at very close to full capacity, while the West Line operates 

well below its capacity, and as a result, is a source of incremental supply for Phoenix should supply from 

the East Line be reduced. However, as the transportation time for fuels delivered into Phoenix from Los 

Angeles is about a week to 10 days, incremental supply to Phoenix will not be immediately available. 

Fuels cannot be delivered from Phoenix to Tucson by pipeline; thus, there is no backup pipeline capacity 

for fuels supply into Tucson. Incremental supply to Tucson is via long-haul trucking.

The Kinder Morgan East and West Lines are critical to fuels supply to Arizona. Train derailments, as well 

as washouts and pipeline ruptures, have affected the pipeline, sections of which lie in the Union Pacific 

Railroad right of way. Most disruptions have been of short duration.

There are about 23 distinct fuels retailers operating in Arizona, and most (56%) of the retail outlets are 

unbranded. Major retail brands in Arizona include Chevron, Circle K, Fry’s, QuikTrip, Shell, and Valero.

Hawaii

Hawaii is remote and isolated from other PADD 5 regional markets and other PADDs, and relies primarily 

on in-region refinery production and imports. In 2013, refineries in Hawaii produced 21,500 b/d of 

motor gasoline, 20,300 b/d of jet fuel, and 11,800 b/d of diesel fuel sufficient to meet 72% of motor 

gasoline demand, 55% of jet fuel demand, and 81% of distillate fuel demand. Refinery production was 

supplemented with motor gasoline imports of 5,400 b/d, jet fuel imports of 19,700 b/d, and distillate

imports of 2,200 barrels per day. Hawaii was also supplied with small volumes of motor gasoline and 

diesel fuel from other PADDs and a small volume of diesel fuel from other PADD 5 regional markets. 

The state’s island geography supports air travel, and as a result Hawaii’s jet fuel demand, which 

averaged 37,000 b/d in 2013, is higher than demand for both motor gasoline and diesel fuel. Hawaii’s jet 

fuel demand accounted for 8% of PADD 5 demand in 2013, compared with 2% of motor gasoline and 3% 

of distillate fuel demand. The state’s distillate demand is boosted by demand from the electric power 

sector and U.S. Navy demand for marine fuels.

There are two operating refineries in Hawaii, both on the island of Oahu. One of the two refineries was 

closed for part of 2013 and changed ownership. As a result, 2013 data on refinery transportation fuels 

supply are atypical for Hawaiian petroleum product markets.

In 2013, refineries in Hawaii produced 21,500 b/d of motor gasoline, 20,300 b/d of jet fuel, and 11,800 

b/d of distillate fuel, sufficient to meet 72% of motor gasoline demand, 55% of jet fuel demand, and 81% 

of distillate fuel demand. Refinery production was supplemented with motor gasoline imports of 5,400 

b/d, jet fuel imports of 19,700 b/d, and diesel imports of 2,200 b/d. Hawaii was also supplied with small 

volumes of motor gasoline and diesel fuel from other PADDs and a small volume of diesel fuel from 

other PADD 5 regional markets. In addition to transportation fuels, Hawaiian refineries produce

significant quantities of heavy fuels used in electric power generation. 
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The two refineries on Oahu and the Barbers Point port facilities and associated barge fleet are critical to 

Hawaii. Product from the refineries on Oahu moves by pipeline to supply storage and distribution 

terminals on Oahu and moves by marine vessel from the Barbers Point Harbor to terminals on the 

islands of Maui, Kauai, and Hawaii. Product that arrives in Hawaii by marine vessel from imports and 

other U.S. regions is also processed through the Barbers Point Harbor, where large seagoing marine 

vessels can be accommodated. Product is also shipped to the Honolulu International Airport by pipeline 

across Pearl Harbor, and jet fuel is delivered by truck from Honolulu area terminals. Large cargoes are 

offloaded, and smaller volumes are shipped by barge to the storage and distribution terminals on the 

other islands. There are 14 storage and distribution terminals outside the Honolulu area, many of which 

are very small. 

There are about nine distinct retailers of transportation fuels in Hawaii, and 76% of retail outlets sell 

branded fuels. Chevron, 76, Aloha, Tesoro, and Shell are among the major retail brands in Hawaii.

Alaska

Alaska has the lowest population of all PADD 5 regions, and as a result, Alaska's demand for motor 

gasoline accounts for a small percentage of total PADD 5 demand. However, the region’s remoteness 

and wide geographic expanse make air travel essential and make Alaska demand for jet fuel higher than 

for motor gasoline. PADD 5 diesel fuel demand is supported by resource extraction activities and oil 

production in the north. In 2013, Alaska demand for motor gasoline was 20,800 b/d, less than 2% of 

total PADD 5 demand; jet fuel demand was 48,400 b/d, 11% of PADD 5 demand; and diesel fuel demand 

was 33,400 b/d, 7% of PADD 5 demand. 

The region is supplied primarily by in-region refinery production, production from refineries in other 

regions of PADD 5 that is delivered by marine vessel from Washington and California, and imports.

There are five operating refineries in Alaska. A sixth refinery, Flint Hills Resources North Pole refinery,

closed in 2014 and is being dismantled and converted to a storage and distribution terminal. Tesoro 

operates the largest and most complex refinery in Alaska at Kenai. The Tesoro refinery produces a wider 

range of transportation fuels, including motor gasoline, jet fuel, and diesel fuel. The refinery also 

produces asphalt. The other operating refineries are dispersed across the state. On the North Slope, two 

of the three major crude oil producers operate small distillation-only refineries that produce arctic diesel 

fuel for production operations. The refineries inject unsold distillation products back into the TransAlaska Pipeline System (TAPS). Two other distillation-only refineries, one in North Pole in central Alaska 

and the other in Valdez in southern Alaska, also blend unsold distillation products back into TAPS. 

On an annual average basis, the refineries in Alaska supply 83% of motor gasoline demand, 76% of jet 

fuel demand, and 66% of diesel fuel demand. However, Alaska’s seasonal weather patterns result in 

seasonal differences in consumption, and supply/demand balances and supply patterns vary over the 

year. In-region refinery supply is supplemented with receipts from other PADD 5 regions and imports. 

Product is regularly supplied to southeastern Alaska by marine vessel from Washington and California. 

Alaska also exports a small amount of fuel to Canada and Asia. 

Product is moved within Alaska by pipeline between Kenai and Anchorage, by rail between Anchorage 

and Fairbanks, and by marine vessel. The Anchorage-to-Fairbanks rail line and the pipeline to Anchorage 
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U.S. Energy Information Administration | PADD 5 Transportation Fuels Markets 12

are critical to the supply chain. Jet fuel is delivered to the Ted Stevens International Airport via both 

pipeline and trucks from Anchorage-area terminals. 

There are 42 small storage/distribution terminals outside the Anchorage area that serve isolated areas. 

Deliveries to some locations are seasonal, occurring only during the summer and fall when barge 

movements are possible. In southeast Alaska, where there are few roads, fuels are supplied by barge 

from the U.S. West Coast and from Canada.

There are 9 distinct retailers with approximately 170 retail outlets in Alaska. Most of the retail locations 

(57%) are branded. Major retail brands include Holiday, Tesoro, Chevron, and Shell. 
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U.S. Energy Information Administration | PADD 5 Transportation Fuels Markets 13

PADD 5 Overview 

PADD 5 accounts for 17%, or 1.5 million barrels/day (b/d), of total U.S. gasoline consumption, 13%, or 

494,000 b/d, of distillate (including diesel fuel) consumption, and about 30%, or 430,000 b/d, of jet fuel 

consumption. Consumption varies across the PADD and is concentrated in California (Table 1).

Table 1. Transportation fuels consumption within PADD 5: regional market breakdown

thousand barrels per day

Gasoline1Jet fuel Diesel fuel

Demand by region 2013

% of 

PADD 5

% of 

U.S. 2013

% of 

PADD 5

% of 

U.S. 2013

% of 

PADD 5

% of 

U.S.

Southern California/

Southern Nevada

 606.6 40.2% 6.9% 194.1 44.8% 13.5% 155.5 31.7% 4.1%

Northern California/

Northern Nevada

 412.0 27.3% 4.7% 88.2 20.3% 6.1% 125.6 25.6% 3.3%

Pacific Northwest 277.3 18.4% 3.1% 51.4 11.9% 3.6% 111.4 22.7% 2.9%

Arizona 161.5 10.7% 1.8% 14.6 3.4% 1.0% 50.6 10.3% 1.3%

Hawaii 29.6 2.0% 0.3% 36.7 8.5% 2.6% 14.6 3.0% 0.4%

Alaska 20.8 1.4% 0.2% 48.4 11.2% 3.4% 33.4 6.8% 0.9%

Total 1,507.7 100% 17.0% 433.3 100.0% 30.2% 491.1 100.0% 12.8%

1Finished motor gasoline, i.e., petroleum-based gasoline blendstock plus ethanol.

Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration

Transportation fuels supply

PADD 5 refineries are the primary source of transportation fuels for the region. There are 22 operating 

refineries in Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, and Arizona, the mainland states of PADD 5. These 

refineries, which have total atmospheric crude distillation unit (ACDU) capacity of 2.5 million barrels per 

calendar day (b/cd), are located primarily in and around Los Angeles and San Francisco, California and 

Puget Sound in Washington State.

There are two operating refineries in Hawaii with combined crude distillation processing capacity of 

147,500 b/cd and five operating refineries in Alaska with combined atmospheric crude distillation 

capacity of 165,200 b/cd. 

PADD 5 depends largely on in-region refinery production of motor gasoline, jet fuel, and diesel fuel 

because of the relative geographic isolation of the region from other U.S. refining centers, like the Gulf 

Coast, and global refining centers, like Asia and Europe. There are no pipelines that cross the Rocky 

Mountains from PADD 4 (Rocky Mountains) and only limited pipelines that deliver to PADD 5 from PADD 

3 (Gulf Coast). The West Coast is 10 days travel by tanker from the Gulf Coast and three weeks from 

Asia. In addition, much of PADD 5 requires the use of unique transportation fuels that are difficult and 

expensive to manufacture, notably California Air Resources Board (CARB) gasoline, and only a limited 

number of refineries outside PADD 5, both inside and outside the United States, can manufacture 

product that meets these unique specifications.
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U.S. Energy Information Administration | PADD 5 Transportation Fuels Markets 14

The interior markets of mainland PADD 5, which include Arizona, Las Vegas, Nevada, and eastern 

Washington, are less reliant on PADD 5 refineries as these markets can be supplied with transportation 

fuels produced at refineries in PADD 3 and PADD 4. 

Figure 5. PADD 5 mainland refineries and product flows 

As a whole, PADD 5 refineries do not produce sufficient gasoline or jet fuel to meet total PADD 5

demand, but they produce more distillate than is consumed in the region. For 2013, PADD 5 refinery 

production of gasoline was sufficient to supply 91%

3 of PADD 5 demand, 96% of jet demand, and 113% 

of distillate demand. However, refinery production in two PADD 5 regional markets, Northern 

California/Northern Nevada and the Pacific Northwest, typically is sufficient to meet local demand under 

normal refinery operating conditions.

PADD 5 refinery production is supplemented by receipts of fuels produced at refineries in other PADDs 

and imports of petroleum products from the global market. Diesel fuel is exported to balance overall 

supply and demand, and other transportation fuels produced at PADD 5 refineries are also exported, to 

balance any mismatch between the quality of product that refineries can produce and the quality of 

product demanded, but also to manage distribution system inefficiencies. Distillate fuel makes up most 

exports, but some gasoline and jet fuel is also exported. Some exported product does not meet PADD 5 

product specifications. 

 

3 2013 PADD 5 demand for gasoline was 1,507.7 b/d of which about 90%, or 1,359.03.9 b/d, was petroleum-based gasoline 

blendstock (BOB). An additional 10% was ethanol. PADD 5 refineries produced 1,240.4 b/d petroleum-based gasoline, 90% of 

petroleum-based gasoline demand.
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U.S. Energy Information Administration | PADD 5 Transportation Fuels Markets 15

Figure 6. PADD 5 2013 supply/demand balance

thousand barrels per day

Note: Net receipts are movements of product to and from other PADDs. 

Source: Stillwater Associates analysis of EIA data

Product specifications

Gasoline and diesel specifications vary across PADD 5, complicating the supply chain and sometimes 

making it difficult to cover product shortfall in one region with oversupply from another. For example, 

California requires reformulated gasoline that meets specifications defined by the California Air 

Resources Board (CARB), so-called CARB gasoline, while other areas of PADD 5 require reformulated 

gasoline that meets the specifications defined by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency4(EPA).

Arizona requires cleaner-burning gasoline for ozone and carbon monoxide nonattainment areas in the 

state, the latter to comply with the EPA Oxygenated Fuel specification.

5

Table 2 provides information on gasoline specifications for different areas of PADD 5.

 

4 Reformulated gasoline (RFG) is gasoline blended to burn more clearly than conventional gasoline and to reduce smog-forming 

and toxic pollutants in the air. The RFG program was mandated by Congress in the 1990 Clean Air Act amendments, and RFG is 

required in cities with high smog levels and is optional elsewhere. RFG is currently used in 17 states and the District of 

Columbia. About 30% of gasoline sold in the United States is reformulated.

5 Federal EPA Winter Oxygenated Fuel programs increase fuel oxygen and are mandated in certain areas for carbon monoxide 

control. The winter oxygenated fuel season is generally October through February or March.
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U.S. Energy Information Administration | PADD 5 Transportation Fuels Markets 16

Table 2. PADD 5 gasoline specifications

Specifications

California 

Summer 

CARBOB

Regular 

Grade 

Nevada 

Summer 

CBOB

Regular 

Grade 

Arizona 

Summer 

AZBOB

Regular 

Grade 

Sub-Octane 

Conventional

Regular 

Grade

Federal 

Reformulated 

RBOB

Regular 

Grade6

Conventional

Regular 

Grade6

Summer Reid Vapor Pressure 

(psi max)1 5.99 9.0/7.8 5.7 8.0 2 Varies 3 9

Distillation T50 (deg. F)1 232 170 min

E200 (25-

65%) 170 min

E200 (30-

70%) 250

Distillation T90 (deg. F, max)1 335

E300 (65-

100%)

E300 (70-

100%) 374

Benzene (vol % max)4 1.22 3.8

Aromatics (vol % max)1 38.7 25 55 50 -

Olefins (vol % max)1 11.1 27.5

Sulfur (PPM wt% max)1, 4 21 80 89 80 80 80

Road Octane (R+M/2)5 87 87 87 87 87 87

1 These values are caps. These properties as well as others are inputs into the CARB and Federal Complex models.

2

If RVP waiver applies, this is 9 psi max.

3 Varies by state or local requirements and whether RVP waiver applies.

4 Benzene and sulfur are subject to annual averaging requirements. Annual averages are 1.0% and 30 ppm maximum for 

benzene and sulfur respectively.

5 Octane after blending with 10% ethanol (EtOH).

6 Specifications generally used for exports.

Source: Kinder Morgan Pacific Operations Specification Manual, Colonial Pipeline Company Product Codes and Specifications

Diesel fuel sold in California must meet the unique CARB diesel specifications.

6 These stringent 

requirements limit out-of-state sources of diesel supply to California; however this is typically not a 

concern because California produces more diesel fuel than is consumed in the state.

Most transportation fuels consumed in PADD 5 must also comply with the federal Renewable Fuels 

Standard (RFS). Some PADD 5 state programs also encourage the use of renewable fuels. California’s 

Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) is designed to reduce by 10% the average lifecycle carbon intensity of 

the motor gasoline and diesel transportation fuel pool, including all petroleum and nonpetroleum 

components, sold for consumption in California from 2012 to 2020. The lifecycle carbon intensity of a 

fuel is a measure of greenhouse gas emissions associated with producing and consuming the fuel. The 

Oregon Renewable Fuel Standard that was adopted in 2005 set a requirement for B5 biodiesel, which 

requires a minimum 5% biodiesel blending level in diesel fuel. 

 

6 CARB diesel requires lower aromatic hydrocarbon content and a higher cetane number. Aromatic hydrocarbons are a class of 

chemical substances characterized by having molecular structures called benzene rings. Cetane number is an indicator of the 

combustion speed of diesel fuel.
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U.S. Energy Information Administration | PADD 5 Transportation Fuels Markets 17

The three renewable fuels used in transportation fuels are ethanol, biodiesel, and renewable diesel.7

PADD 5 ethanol plants had a total nameplate production capacity of 510 million gallons per year (gal/y) 

in 2015. Ethanol is also supplied to mainland PADD 5 states from the Midwest by rail and to Hawaii from 

the West Coast by tanker. Sugarcane ethanol, which has lower carbon intensity than corn ethanol, is 

imported into PADD 5 from Brazil and the Caribbean, when economic. Use of sugarcane ethanol is 

driven by California’s LCFS.

Biodiesel production capacity is concentrated in Washington with 107 million gal/y. Total PADD 5 

biodiesel production capacity was 191 million gal/y in 2015. Imports are the principal source of 

renewable diesel, primarily from Asia.

Table 3. Ethanol producers and production by state

State Number of producers

Nameplate production capacity

(million gallons per year)

Alaska — —

Arizona 1 275 

California 5 200 

Hawaii — —

Nevada — —

Oregon 1 35

Washington — —

Total PADD 5 7 510 

— = No data reported.

Nameplate capacity: volume of denatured fuel ethanol that can be produced during a period of 12 months under normal 

operating conditions.

Number of producers is a count of plants with operable capacity as of January 1, 2015.

Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Form EIA-819 Monthly Oxygenate Report

 

7 Biodiesel refers to fatty acid methyl esters produced by a chemical reaction between vegetable oils or animal fats and alcohol 

(transesterification), and is most commonly blended with petroleum diesel in up to 5% by volume or 20% by volume (B5 and 

B20). Renewable diesel refers to a diesel-like fuel that is compatible with existing infrastructure and in existing engines in any 

blending proportion. It is produced by refining vegetable oils or animal fats using a hydrotreating process.
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U.S. Energy Information Administration | PADD 5 Transportation Fuels Markets 18

Table 4. Biodiesel producers and capacity by state

State Number of producers

Annual production capacity

(million gallons per year)

Alaska 1 0

Arizona 1 2 

California 7 59 

Hawaii 1 6 

Nevada — —

Oregon 1 17

Washington 3 107 

Total PADD 5 14 191 

—= No data reported.

Number of producers is a count of plants with operable capacity as of June 2015.

Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Form EIA-22M Monthly Biodiesel Production Survey

Market structure

The PADD 5 market for gasoline is both large and complex. The number of different gasoline 

specifications, the uniqueness of the specifications, the close balance between in-region supply and 

demand, and the relative price inelasticity of gasoline demand combine to create a volatile market.8

The gasoline market includes four separate but interrelated markets:

 The spot market, where sizeable volumes, typically parcels of at least 1 million gallons, are sold at

the refinery gate or from imported cargoes, and delivered into a specified pipeline or storage 

facility, as agreed by the buyer and seller. There are about 15 to 20 participants in the West Coast 

spot market, including refiners that buy and sell products to balance refinery production and sales 

commitments, trading companies that are in the business of buying and selling gasoline but that 

typically have no presence in wholesale or retail gasoline markets, brokers with market knowledge 

and understanding that identify buyers and sellers and arrange deals, and independent retail 

marketers that move large volumes of gasoline through their own retail outlets. Prices in the spot 

market move with perceived changes in refinery supply and demand. There are three major spot 

markets for gasoline in PADD 5, located in the major refining centers of Los Angeles, San Francisco,

and the Pacific Northwest. Prices in these markets reflect regional supply/demand balances as well 

as the cost to move product between the markets and product quality differences.

 The rack market, where wholesale buyers such as independent retailers or distributors that operate 

their own trucks purchase product delivered into a tank truck at a truck loading rack located at a 

storage and distribution terminal or refinery. Rack market participants may buy branded products 

that will be sold at a retail outlet under the name of a major oil company or may alternatively

purchase unbranded products destined for sale at independent service stations or for use by 

commercial/industrial consumers. Branded and unbranded rack pricing varies.

 

8 Updated from Stillwater Associates. California Strategic Fuels Reserve – Consultant Report to the California Energy 

Commission. July 2002. http://www.energy.ca.gov/reports/2002-03-11_600-02-004CR.PDF
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U.S. Energy Information Administration | PADD 5 Transportation Fuels Markets 19

 The dealer tank wagon (DTW) market, where branded retail outlets (dealers) purchase branded 

gasoline that is delivered by tank truck (tank wagon) to their retail outlets. The price of the gasoline 

reflects the cost of the product and the cost of delivery. 

 The retail market, where gasoline is sold to the end consumer at the pump at a gas station or other

retail outlet. Retailers typically set prices by comparison to prices at other retail outlets. However, 

high volume retailers (HVRs), such as large chain stores, or big box store, that are focused on selling 

large volumes of gasoline at low margins, tend to price gasoline based on cost plus the desired 

margin, rather than based on prices at other retail outlets. 

Figure 7. Gasoline market structure

Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, California Strategic Reserve Study9

Over the past 10 years, the PADD 5 gasoline market has changed. The number of spot market 

participants has decreased as refinery ownership consolidation and as increased reliance on in-region 

refinery production of gasoline has reduced opportunities for trading companies and brokers to 

 

9 Stillwater Associates. California Strategic Reserve Study – Consultant Report. March 10, 2002. 

http://www.energy.ca.gov/reports/2002-03-11_600-02-004CR.PDF.
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U.S. Energy Information Administration | PADD 5 Transportation Fuels Markets 20

participate in the market. Most integrated refiner-marketers have divested their retail chains, and many 

of the new retail operators, including hypermarkets and big box retailers, now purchase gasoline at an

unbranded rack price.

The PADD 5 market structure, notably the region's geographic isolation, unique product specifications

that have increased reliance on in-region refinery production, and infrastructure limitations, can restrict 

both short-term and long-term responses to supply shortfalls, such as those resulting from supply chain 

disruptions, like refinery outages. Short-term measures to increase product supply typically include 

withdrawals from inventory, when available, and waterborne shipment of increased production from 

refineries in the region that have spare processing capacity. However, the range of product 

specifications across PADD 5 can make it difficult to translate inventory to other regions, and not all 

product specifications can be produced at all refineries. In addition, the availability of the coastwisecompliant marine vessels that are required to move fuels within the region can make it difficult to move 

product to where it is needed. Longer-term solutions to supply disruptions include imports from Asia 

and Canada as well as transfers from other U.S. refining centers like the Gulf Coast; however, only a 

limited number of refineries outside PADD 5, both inside and outside the United States, can 

manufacture product to meet all PADD 5 specifications, notably the CARB gasoline and CARB diesel 

specifications. As a result, when PADD 5 transportation fuel supply is disrupted, wholesale and retail 

prices often increase more than would be expected in other regions, like the Gulf Coast and East Coast, 

where alternative sources of supply are closer and more readily available, and thus lower cost.
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U.S. Energy Information Administration | PADD 5 Transportation Fuels Markets 21

Southern California and Southern Nevada

The Southern California and Southern Nevada (SCSN) region includes the southernmost counties of 

California10 as well as the Las Vegas, Nevada metropolitan area of Southern Nevada. The region accounts

for more than 40% of total PADD 5 motor gasoline demand, the largest share of motor gasoline demand 

of the six regional PADD 5 markets, and about 7% of total U.S. demand. Because of the many military air 

bases and large commercial aviation hubs, jet fuel demand in the SCSN region accounts for about 45% of 

total PADD 5 jet fuel demand and 14% of U.S. demand. SCSN accounts for 32% of total PADD 5 distillate 

fuel demand, which is about 4% of U.S. demand.

A combination of in-region refinery production, marine-delivered fuels produced at refineries in

Northern California and Washington State, receipts of fuels produced at refineries in other PADDs, and 

imports from the global market supply the SCSN region with transportation fuels. The regional refineries 

do not produce sufficient gasoline or jet fuel to meet in-region demand, but they do produce more 

distillate than is consumed in the region. In-region refinery production is supplemented with marine 

deliveries of product from refineries in Northern California and Washington State as well as imports

from the global market. Transportation fuels produced at SCSN refineries also supply Arizona and some 

are exported into the global market. Exports are primarily distillate fuel, which may not meet in-region 

specifications.

Figure 8. Southern California and Southern Nevada 2013 supply/demand balances

thousand barrels per day

Note: All movements are on a net basis.

Source: Stillwater Associates analysis of EIA data

 

10 The southernmost counties of California are Imperial, Kern, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San 

Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura.
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U.S. Energy Information Administration | PADD 5 Transportation Fuels Markets 22

Supply and logistics

There are eight operating refineries in the Southern California and Southern Nevada region, and these 

refineries supply most of the motor gasoline, jet fuel, and distillate consumed in the region. The

refineries have combined atmospheric crude distillation unit capacity of 1,019,100 barrels per calendar 

day.

11 All eight refineries are located in the Los Angeles metropolitan area.

Table 5. Southern California and Southern Nevada refineries

Company Location

Atmospheric Crude 

Distillation Unit (ACDU) 

operating capacity b/cd Markets served

Valero Asphalt Wilmington 6,300

Lunday Thagard Southgate 8,500 local

Valero Wilmington 85,000 Southern California (S. CA), Las Vegas, Phoenix

Tesoro Wilmington 104,500 S. CA, Las Vegas

Phillips 66 Wilmington 139,000 S. CA, Las Vegas

ExxonMobil Torrance 149,500 S. CA

Tesoro Carson 257,300 S. CA, Las Vegas

Chevron El Segundo 269,000 S. CA, Las Vegas, Phoenix

Source: Stillwater Associates analysis of EIA data

In 2013, SCSN refineries produced a total of 526,800 b/d of gasoline, 182,500 b/d of distillate, and 

178,100 b/d of jet fuel. This production was sufficient to supply 87% of regional motor gasoline demand

(96% when blended with ethanol), 117% of distillate fuel demand, and 92% of jet fuel demand.

Production from the refineries moves primarily by pipeline from the Los Angeles area to bulk storage 

and distribution terminals throughout the SCSN region (Figure 9). From terminals, product moves by 

tank truck to retail outlets. Product from the Los Angeles area also supplies the Arizona Region (Arizona) 

by pipeline. The Kinder Morgan West Line, which is owned and operated by Kinder Morgan, Inc., 

originates in the Los Angeles Basin, and in 2013, it moved 35,000 b/d of gasoline, 6,000 b/d of jet, and 

28,000 b/d of distillate to Phoenix, Arizona. This supply reduces the availability of product to supply the 

SCSN region, which is especially important for motor gasoline.

Transportation fuels produced at refineries in Salt Lake City, Utah, in PADD 4, also supply SCSN. The

UNEV Pipeline12 runs from Salt Lake City, Utah to North Las Vegas, Nevada and in 2013 moved 9,000 b/d 

of gasoline and 1,000 b/d of distillate to Las Vegas.

 

11 Barrels per calendar day is a measure of the amount of input that a distillation unit can process in a 24-hour period under 

usual operating conditions. It takes into account both planned and unplanned maintenance. Barrels per stream day, another 

measure of refinery capacity, is the maximum number of barrels of input that a distillation facility can process within a 24-hour 

period when running at full capacity under optimal crude and product slate conditions with no allowance for downtime. Stream 

day capacity is typically about 6% higher than calendar day capacity.

12 UNEV Pipeline, LLC is a joint venture between a subsidiary of Holly Energy Partners, L.P. and Sinclair Transportation Company. 
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U.S. Energy Information Administration | PADD 5 Transportation Fuels Markets 23

Figure 9. Southern California and Southern Nevada refineries and petroleum product flows

Most of the major product distribution pipelines in the SCSN region can move product to and from more 

than one refinery and more than one terminal, which provides flexibility in sourcing product and 

ensuring that product is available for distribution to retail outlets. However, in the Los Angeles

metropolitan area, there are large bulk storage and distribution terminals that are part of closed 

systems supplied by a single refinery. Disruptions to these closed systems can require changes to the 

pattern of product distribution from the terminal to the retail outlet, which can lengthen supply times 

and increase supply costs.

Refineries, pipelines, ports, and storage facilities are all critical to the effective functioning of the 

petroleum supply chain. However, in the SCSN region, Watson Station, a pipeline hub in Carson, 

California, is particularly important. Product from many of the region's refineries must move through 

Watson Station to reach bulk storage and distribution facilities. Power outages and earthquakes can 

affect the region’s infrastructure.
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U.S. Energy Information Administration | PADD 5 Transportation Fuels Markets 24

Motor gasoline supply/demand

SCSN refineries produced sufficient gasoline to supply about 87% of in-region motor gasoline demand 

(96% when blended with ethanol) in 2013, although a portion of that gasoline was used to supply the 

Arizona region. Gasoline supplied from refineries in Northern California and Washington State and 

shipped by marine vessel and imports from the global market provided additional supply. Historically,

the SCSN region has imported small quantities of gasoline, including gasoline-blending components,

primarily from Canada and Asia. However, since March 2015, because of the continuing outage of 

gasoline-producing units at the Torrance refinery, gasoline imports have increased substantially. Several 

weeks after the Torrance, California, outage, West Coast gasoline imports more than tripled, and 

averaged 81,000 b/d from March 27 through June 26. Monthly data through April 2015 show California 

total gasoline imports coming from South Korea, Singapore, and Taiwan in Asia as well as Sweden, the 

United Kingdom, Italy, and the Netherlands in Europe. During periods of unplanned refinery outages and 

other in-region supply disruptions, waterborne supply of gasoline from other PADD 5 regions like 

Northern California and the Pacific Northwest, other PADDs, and the global market is critical. The 

availability of product from other PADD 5 regions and other PADDs depends on the availability of 

coastwise-compliant marine vessels. 

The SCSN region exported small volumes of gasoline to Central and South America in 2013, some of 

which likely did not meet CARB gasoline specifications, and the region continues to supply Arizona via 

intra-PADD pipeline, about 36,000 b/d. 

Figure 10. Southern California and Southern Nevada motor gasoline supply/demand balance

thousand barrels per day

Note: All movements are on a net basis.

Source: Stillwater Associates analysis of EIA data
September 2015

U.S. Energy Information Administration | PADD 5 Transportation Fuels Markets 25

Distillate fuel supply/demand

Refineries in the SCSN region produce substantially more distillate fuel than is consumed in the region, 

17% more in 2013. The region also receives distillate fuel by marine vessel from other sub-PADD 5 

regions, 16,000 b/d in 2013, and by pipeline into Las Vegas from PADD 4, 1,200 b/d in 2013. Some of the 

receipts from within PADD 5 are likely to balance supply/demand of CARB specification diesel, especially 

during periods of SCSN refinery maintenance. The region also supplies distillate fuel to Arizona, 28,200 

b/d in 2013, and exports distillate fuel to Mexico as well as to Central America and South America, about 

21,500 b/d in 2013. In Arizona, diesel fuel is required to meet the standard ultra-low sulfur diesel 

specification, which is less stringent than the CARB diesel specification. As a result, Arizona is an outlet 

for Southern California diesel production that does not meet CARB specifications. Exports of distillate 

fuel may also include product that does not meet CARB diesel specifications.

Figure 11. Southern California and Southern Nevada distillate supply/demand balance

thousand barrels per day

Note: All movements are on a net basis.

Source: Stillwater Associates analysis of EIA data
September 2015

U.S. Energy Information Administration | PADD 5 Transportation Fuels Markets 26

Jet fuel supply/demand

Refineries in the Southern California/Southern Nevada region do not produce sufficient jet fuel to meet 

in-region demand. In-region refinery production is supplemented with imports and transfers from other 

regions within PADD 5. The SCSN region also supplies jet fuel to Arizona by pipeline. In 2013, in-region 

refineries produced jet fuel sufficient to supply 92% of in-region demand. Imports and receipts from 

other regions of PADD 5 supplied the balance. The region typically imports more jet fuel than either 

motor gasoline or distillate, and imports are principally from refineries in Asia. Demand patterns for jet 

fuel are more variable than for gasoline and distillate, and as a result, the region can be caught short if 

demand rises unexpectedly or if in-region supplies are disrupted. Pipeline flows of jet fuel to Arizona 

have declined to an average of 6,000 b/d in 2013 as PADD 3 refineries supply increasing volumes to 

Arizona.

Figure 12. Southern California and Southern Nevada jet fuel supply/demand balance

thousand barrels per day

Note: All movements are on a net basis.

Source: Stillwater Associates analysis of EIA data

Renewable fuels and biofuels supply/demand

The region’s demand for biofuels is driven by California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS), which 

creates demand for fuels with lower carbon intensity, including low carbon-intensity corn-based ethanol 

and sugar-based ethanol, biodiesel, and renewable diesel.

Ethanol blending is limited to 10% by the CARB specification for motor gasoline, which is reflected in 

ethanol's 10% share of gasoline demand. Ethanol supply is from a combination of imported sugar-based 

ethanol and receipts from PADD 2 (Midwest) delivered by rail and truck to blending terminals. 
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U.S. Energy Information Administration | PADD 5 Transportation Fuels Markets 27

Biodiesel and renewable diesel supplied 2% of the region’s distillate demand in 2013 and 4% in the first 

nine months of 2014. Biodiesel and renewable diesel supply is from a combination of PADD 5

production, receipts from other PADDs, and imports.

Retail markets

There are about 27 distinct branded and unbranded companies participating in the retail market for 

gasoline and distillate fuel in the Southern California and Southern Nevada region. About 76% of retail 

outlets are branded, meaning that they are associated with and display a major oil company brand, like 

Chevron, Shell, 76, Valero, and ARCO. The remaining 24% of retailers are referred to as unbranded 

because they are not affiliated with a major oil company brand. Unbranded retailers include small 

independent retailers as well as big box retailers. In California as a whole, 79% of retail outlets are 

associated with a major brand, while 21% are unbranded. The sale of BP’s Southern California business 

to Tesoro in 2012 resulted in the most recent large-scale shift in the region’s retail market structure.

Figure 13. Southern California and Southern Nevada retail market structure

percent of retail outlets

Source: Stillwater Associates analysis of Oil Price Information Service (OPIS) data for the week of December 31, 2014

Note: OPIS data are survey rather than census data, and survey data include transactions from large commercial trucking fleet 

customers using company credit cards and not from cash or credit card sales to the general public.
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Northern California and Northern Nevada

The Northern California and Northern Nevada region (NCNN) includes counties in California north of San 

Luis Obispo, Kern, and San Bernardino counties, and in Nevada north of Las Vegas. In 2013, with average 

motor gasoline demand of 412,000 b/d, the region accounted for 27% of total PADD 5 motor gasoline 

demand and 4.7% of U.S. motor gasoline demand. NCNN distillate demand of 125,000 b/d in 2013 

accounted for 25% of PADD demand and 3% of U.S. demand. NCNN jet fuel demand averaged 88,000 

b/d in 2013, 21% of PADD demand and 6% of U.S. demand.

The region is supplied by in-region refinery production and refineries in the region produce more motor 

gasoline, jet fuel, and distillate fuel than is consumed in the region. As a result, NCNN supplies other

regional markets in PADD 5, primarily Southern California and Southern Nevada, with motor gasoline, jet 

fuel, and diesel fuel, and also exports these products. In 2013, the region exported 22,100 b/d of 

gasoline, 2,300 b/d of jet fuel, and 52,400 b/d of distillate fuel, primarily to Central and South America.

Figure 14. Northern California and Northern Nevada 2013 supply/demand balance

thousand barrels per day

Note: All movements are on a net basis.

Source: Stillwater Associates analysis of EIA data

Supply and logistics

There are nine operating refineries in two primary refining centers in the Northern California and 

Northern Nevada region with combined atmospheric crude distillation unit capacity of about 885,000

barrels per calendar day. Only one of the refineries is located outside California, in Nevada. The sole 

refinery in Nevada, Foreland Refining in Ely, produces asphalt and fuel oil rather than motor gasoline, 

distillate fuel, and jet fuel. Most of the California refining capacity in the NCNN region is in the San 

Francisco Bay area. Several smaller refineries are located in California’s Central Valley. 
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Table 5. Northern California and Northern Nevada refineries

Company Location

Atmospheric Crude 

Distillation Unit (ACDU) 

operating capacity b/cd Markets served

Chevron Richmond 245,271 Northern California (N. CA), Reno, Oregon

Tesoro Martinez 166,000 N. CA, Reno

Shell Martinez 156,400 N.CA, Los Angeles, Reno, Nevada, exports

Valero Benicia 145,000 N.CA, Reno, Nevada, exports

Phillips 661 Rodeo 120,200 S. CA, Las Vegas

Kern Oil & Refining Bakersfield 26,000 Central California

San Joaquin Refining Bakersfield 15,000 Central California

Santa Maria Refinery Santa Maria 9,500 local

Foreland Refining Ely, Nevada 2,000 local

1A portion of this facility is actually located in San Luis Obispo County but is operated as part of the Rodeo refinery.

Source: Stillwater Associates analysis of EIA data

In 2013, NCNN refineries produced an average of 421,000 b/d of gasoline blending components and 

finished motor gasoline, 185,000 b/d of distillate, and 96,000 b/d of jet fuel. This production was more 

than sufficient to meet in-region demand. NCNN refineries produced product sufficient to meet 102% of 

regional demand for finished motor gasoline (112% when blended with ethanol), 108% of jet fuel

demand, and 147% of diesel fuel demand. Production from refineries in Northern California regularly 

supplies parts of Southern California and Oregon by marine vessel. 

Product is shipped by pipeline from the refineries in San Francisco to storage and distribution terminals 

in the San Francisco area and to terminals further inland in Fresno and Chico, California, and also in 

Nevada. The large regional product distribution pipelines are owned and operated as common carrier 

pipelines by Kinder Morgan, Inc. No pipelines connect the NCNN region to other PADDs or other PADD 5 

regional markets, and, as a result, supply from NCNN to those areas moves by marine vessel. The major 

port facilities through which product is exported into the global market and from which product is 

shipped to other regional markets in PADD 5 are located on the San Francisco Bay.

Critical supply chain infrastructure includes the refineries, pipelines, ports, and storage facilities of the 

San Francisco Bay area. In particular, the Concord pipeline junction is the gathering and entry point for 

the Kinder Morgan pipeline system, the main distribution artery for the region. Power outages and 

earthquakes can affect the region’s infrastructure, and heavy fog can disrupt the port facilities within 

the San Francisco Bay.
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Figure 15. Northern California and Northern Nevada refineries and petroleum product flows
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Motor gasoline supply/demand

In 2013, NCNN refineries produced an average of 421,000 b/d of motor gasoline blending components

that when blended with ethanol was sufficient to supply about 112% of 2013 finished gasoline demand. 

Without pipeline interconnections to other regional markets in PADD 5, surplus gasoline must be

shipped out of the region by marine vessel. In 2013, the NCNN region supplied about 26,900 b/d to 

other PADD 5 regional markets, primarily Southern California but also Reno, Nevada, and exported 

22,100 b/d into the global market, principally supplying Latin America. 

Figure 16. Northern California and Northern Nevada motor gasoline supply/demand balance

thousand barrels per day

Note: All movements are on a net basis.

Source: Stillwater Associates analysis of EIA data
September 2015

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Distillate fuel supply/demand

In 2013, NCNN refineries produced an average of 185,000 b/d of distillate fuel, which when blended 

with biodiesel was sufficient to supply about 147% of finished distillate fuel demand. Without pipeline 

interconnections to other regional markets in PADD 5, surplus distillate fuel must be shipped out of the 

region by marine vessel. In 2013, the region transferred 8,200 b/d to other regional markets in PADD 5 

and exported 52,400 b/d of distillate, mostly to Central America and South America, principally to 

Mexico. Because the region produces substantially more diesel fuel than is needed to meet local 

demand, NCNN has become an important source of diesel fuel for other regions within PADD 5 as well 

as the Pacific basin.

Figure 17. Northern California and Northern Nevada distillate supply/demand balance

thousand barrels per day

Note: All movements are on a net basis.

Source: Stillwater Associates analysis of EIA data
September 2015

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Jet fuel supply/demand

The Northern California and Northern Nevada region produces more jet fuel than is consumed in the 

region, albeit by a much narrower margin than distillate fuel, with in-region refineries producing about 

96,000 b/d on average in 2013, 108% of regional demand. The region has also imported small volumes 

of jet fuel, likely to balance the timing of supply and demand and/or to take advantage of economic 

supply opportunities. Refinery production beyond that needed to meet in-region demand is principally 

shipped to other PADD 5 regional markets, but it also is exported. In 2013, about 7,200 b/d was shipped 

to other PADD regional markets and 2,300 b/d was exported to Canada and Latin America. The region 

typically produces more jet fuel than is needed to meet in-region demand. However, in the second half 

of 2012, following a major disruption at Chevron’s Richmond refinery, NCNN shifted from producing 

more jet fuel than needed to meet in-region demand, to producing less. This circumstance illustrates the 

sensitivity of the Northern California region as well as the sensitivity of PADD 5 as a whole to refinery 

disruptions. 

Figure 18. Northern California and Northern Nevada jet fuel supply/demand balance

thousand barrels per day 

Note: All movements are on a net basis.

Source: Stillwater Associates analysis of EIA data

Renewable fuels and biofuels supply/demand

The region’s demand for biofuels is driven by California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS), which 

creates demand for fuels with lower carbon intensity, including low carbon-intensity corn-based ethanol 

and sugar-based ethanol, biodiesel, and renewable diesel.

Ethanol blending is limited to 10% of the CARB specification for motor gasoline, which is reflected in 

ethanol's 10% share of gasoline demand. Ethanol supply is a combination of imported sugar-based 

ethanol and receipts from the PADD 2 (Midwest) delivered by rail and truck to blending terminals. 
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Biodiesel and renewable diesel supplied a very small percentage of the region’s distillate demand in 

2013, less than 1%. Biodiesel and renewable diesel supply is from a combination of PADD 5 production, 

receipts from other PADDs, and imports.

Retail markets

In the Northern California and Northern Nevada region, 80% of retail outlets are branded and 20% are 

unbranded. In Northern California, about 21 branded and unbranded companies participate in the retail 

market for gasoline and distillate fuel,

13 compared with about 12 in the Reno/Carson City, Nevada

market. In Northern California, major oil company branded outlets dominate the retail sector, and the 

top five brands have 76% of the number of retail outlets. The Reno/Carson City market is characterized 

by a mix of branded and unbranded retail outlets. 

Figure 19. Northern California and Northern Nevada retail market structure

percent of retail outlets

Source: Stillwater Associates analysis of Oil Price Information Service (OPIS) data for the week of December 31, 2014

Note: OPIS data are survey rather than census data, and survey data include transactions from large commercial trucking fleet 

customers using company credit cards and not from cash or credit card sales to the general public.

 

13 Northern California counties with less than 1% of total state gasoline sales are excluded from these numbers.
September 2015

U.S. Energy Information Administration | PADD 5 Transportation Fuels Markets 35

Pacific Northwest

The Pacific Northwest region (PNW) includes Oregon and Washington. In 2013, with 277,300 b/d of 

motor gasoline demand, the region accounted for 18% of total PADD 5 motor gasoline demand and 3% 

of total U.S. demand. At 111,400 b/d, PNW demand for distillate fuel was 23% of PADD 5 demand and 

3% of U.S. demand. Jet fuel demand in the Pacific Northwest averaged 51,400 b/d in 2013, 12% of PADD 

5 demand and 4% of U.S. demand.

The region is supplied by a combination of in-region refinery production, imports, and receipts of 

product manufactured at refineries in other PADDs. Refineries in the PNW produce about as much 

gasoline as is consumed in the region, but considerably more than enough distillate fuel and jet fuel 

than is needed to meet in-region demand. The region supplies distillate fuel and jet fuel to the global 

market and to other regions within PADD 5 and also exports motor gasoline. PNW also imports motor 

gasoline and a small amount of distillate. The combination of imports and exports reflects the 

configuration of the distribution system and gasoline grade imbalances. The PNW typically does not 

receive product from other regions within PADD 5. In 2013, the region exported 26,000 b/d of motor 

gasoline, 26,800 b/d of jet fuel, and 43,200 b/d of distillate fuel, primarily to Canada, Mexico Central

America, and South America.

Figure 20. Pacific Northwest 2013 supply/demand balance

thousand barrels per day

Note: All movements are on a net basis.

Source: Stillwater Associates analysis of EIA data

Supply and logistics

There are five operating refineries in the PNW region, located in and around Puget Sound, Washington. 

There are no refineries in Eastern Washington or in Oregon. Historically, the PNW refineries processed a 
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U.S. Energy Information Administration | PADD 5 Transportation Fuels Markets 36

combination of Alaska North Slope crude oil, Canadian crude oil delivered by the Kinder Morgan Trans

Mountain Pipeline,

14 and waterborne imports of other globally-produced crude oil. More recently,

Bakken crude oil produced in the United States has been added to refinery crude slates. Bakken crude 

oil is delivered by railroad and has displaced both ANS and waterborne imports. 

Table 6. Pacific Northwest refineries

Company Location

Atmospheric Crude 

Distillation Unit (ACDU) 

capacity b/cd Markets served

BP Ferndale (Cherry Point) 225,000 Western Washington, Oregon, exports

Phillips 66 Ferndale 101,000 Western Washington, Oregon, exports

Shell Anacortes 145,000 Western Washington, Oregon, exports

Tesoro Anacortes 120,000 Western Washington, Oregon

U.S. Oil & Refining Tacoma 40,700 Western Washington

Source: Stillwater Associates analysis of EIA data

In 2013, PNW refineries produced an average of 253,400 b/d of motor gasoline and motor gasoline 

blending components, 156,300 b/d of distillate fuel, and 83,600 b/d of jet fuel. This production was 

sufficient to meet 91% of regional demand for motor gasoline (102% when blended with ethanol), 163% 

of jet fuel demand, and 138% of distillate fuel demand. Production from refineries in Washington State 

regularly supplies Alaska and California.

Product is shipped from the refineries by pipeline north and south to supply Portland, Oregon and 

Seattle, Washington, and product is shipped by marine vessel to supply the global markets and other 

regions within PADD 5. Many of the Portland, Oregon storage and distribution terminals have access to 

the Columbia River and can ship and receive product by marine vessel. Each of the five refineries also 

have associated dock infrastructure for loading and discharging marine vessels, which supports imports 

and exports of petroleum products. 

Product moves from storage and distribution terminals in Portland, Oregon south to Eugene, Oregon by 

pipeline. Distribution infrastructure to move product from the western portions of Washington and 

Oregon east is limited. The only connection between the western and eastern portions of the region is 

marine transport along the Columbia River, specifically between Portland, Oregon and Pasco, 

Washington. There is no pipeline infrastructure to move products across the Cascade Range of 

mountains. As a result, Eastern Washington is supplied with product from refineries in PADD 4. Product 

moves by pipeline from Salt Lake City, Utah into eastern Washington and Oregon and by pipeline from 

refineries in Billings, Montana into eastern Washington. 

Critical infrastructure in the region includes the refinery complexes, pipelines, storage and distribution

terminals, and the marine facilities at refineries and terminals, notably those along the Columbia River. 

 

14 The Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain Pipeline (TMPL) transports both crude oil and refined products to the west coast of 

Canada and the United States. TMPL moves product from Edmonton, Alberta, to marketing terminals and refineries in the 

central British Columbia region, the Greater Vancouver area, and the Puget Sound area in Washington state, as well as to other 

markets such as California, the U.S. Gulf Coast, and overseas through the Westridge marine terminal located in Burnaby, British 

Columbia. Only crude oil and condensates are shipped into the United States.
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Weather can disrupt the region’s marine facilities. The Olympic pipeline,

15 which runs from Puget Sound 

to Portland, Oregon and is connected to four of the five PNW refineries, is the main north-south corridor 

for petroleum product transportation in the PNW region. Disruptions to flows on the Olympic pipeline 

can have a major impact on regional supply. Many of the storage and distribution terminals connected 

to the pipeline lack other supply options. As a result, during supply disruptions, product typically 

supplied from these terminals may need to be sourced from other terminals, which can increase supply 

costs and therefore prices. 

Figure 21. Pacific Northwest refineries and petroleum product flows

 

15 The pipeline runs along a 299 mile corridor from Blaine, Washington to Portland, Oregon. The system transports gasoline, 

diesel, and jet fuel. This fuel originates at four Puget Sound refineries, two in Whatcom County and two in Skagit County, and is 

delivered to Seattle's Harbor Island, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, Renton, Tacoma, Vancouver, Washington, and 

Portland, Oregon.
September 2015

U.S. Energy Information Administration | PADD 5 Transportation Fuels Markets 38

Motor gasoline supply/demand

In 2013, PNW refineries produced an average of 253,000 b/d of motor gasoline, including motor 

gasoline blending components and finished motor gasoline, about 91% of 2013 demand (102% when 

blended with ethanol). The PNW region also imports and exports gasoline to balance gasoline quality 

imbalances and is supplied with gasoline from PADD 4 because it is more efficient to supply the eastern 

part of the region east of the Cascade Range mountains with product from refineries in Salt Lake City, 

Utah and Billings, Montana. In 2013, the region imported 8,200 b/d of transportation fuels, mostly from 

Canada, and was supplied with an additional 15,200 b/d from PADD 4 (Rocky Mountains). The PNW 

typically does not receive product from other regions within PADD 5. In 2013, the region exported 

26,000 b/d of motor gasoline, principally to Mexico and Canada.

Figure 22. Pacific Northwest motor gasoline supply/demand balance

thousand barrels per day

Note: All movements are on a net basis.

Source: Stillwater Associates analysis of EIA data
September 2015

U.S. Energy Information Administration | PADD 5 Transportation Fuels Markets 39

Distillate fuel supply/demand

The Pacific Northwest produces considerably more distillate fuel than is needed to meet in-region 

demand. In 2013, the region produced 154,000 b/d of distillate fuel, 138% of demand. The region 

exports significant volumes of distillate fuel into the Pacific Basin market, 43,200 b/d on average in 

2013, to Central and South America, western Canada (which lacks sufficient refining capacity), and 

Mexico. The Pacific Northwest region also supplies distillate, 10,100 b/d on average in 2013, to the rest 

of PADD 5 via marine vessel. PADD 4 supplied 5,800 b/d of distillate fuel to the eastern part of the 

Pacific Northwest region.

Figure 23. Pacific Northwest distillate supply/demand balance

thousand barrels per day

Note: All movements are on a net basis.

Source: Stillwater Associates analysis of EIA data
September 2015

U.S. Energy Information Administration | PADD 5 Transportation Fuels Markets 40

Jet fuel supply/demand

Refineries in the PNW region produced approximately 163% of in-region jet fuel demand, or 84,000 b/d 

on average in 2013, making the region significantly net long jet fuel. The oversupply allowed the region 

to export 27,000 b/d of jet fuel and to send 7,000 b/d of supplies via marine vessel to other regions of 

PADD 5 on average in 2013. The region’s jet fuel exports were mainly destined for Canada, with smaller 

amounts bound for Central America, South America, and Asia.

Figure 24. Pacific Northwest jet fuel supply/demand balance

thousand barrels per day

Note: All movements are on a net basis.

Source: Stillwater Associates analysis of EIA data

Renewable fuels and biofuels supply/demand

Almost all of the gasoline in the Pacific Northwest is blended with ethanol to a level of 10%, driven by 

the federal Renewable Fuel Standard program and the state’s requirement that diesel fuel sold in 

Oregon must be blended with a minimum of 5% biodiesel. The Oregon Renewable Fuel Standard, which 

was adopted in 2005, set the requirement for biodiesel blending in the state. Oregon also has a lowcarbon fuels law that was passed in 2009 but for which regulations have not been promulgated. The 

low-carbon fuel law was scheduled to sunset in 2015, however, in February, the Oregon state senate 

introduced a bill to make the law permanent. In January, the Oregon Environmental Quality Commission 

proposed regulations to require fuel importers and producers to reduce the carbon content of 

transportation fuels by 10% over the next decade, starting in January 2016. 

Ethanol supply to the PNW is from a combination of receipts from other PADDs, delivered by rail and 

truck to blending terminals, and in-region production. Biodiesel, which supplied a small percentage of 

the region’s diesel demand in 2013 (about 2,200 b/d, or about 2% of in-region demand) is supplied 

primarily from in-region production.
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Retail markets

Oregon is one of two states in the country that does not permit customer self-service dispensing of 

transportation fuels at retail outlets. The mandate has its origins in efforts to support independent 

gasoline wholesalers, which helped minimize the number of retail outlets owned and operated by major 

oil companies. The Pacific Northwest actually has a slightly higher percentage of branded outlets 

compared with PADD 5 overall. The region has about 25 branded and unbranded retailers, with 77% of 

retail stations selling branded fuels compared with the PADD 5 average of 72%. Brands in the Pacific 

Northwest include Chevron, Shell, 76, Conoco, ARCO, Pilot, Costco, and Sam's Club. 

Figure 25. Pacific Northwest retail market structure

percent of retail outlets

Source: Stillwater Associates analysis of Oil Price Information Service (OPIS) data for the week of December 31, 2014

Note: OPIS data are survey rather than census data, and survey data include transactions from large commercial trucking fleet 

customers using company credit cards and not from cash or credit card sales to the general public.
September 2015

U.S. Energy Information Administration | PADD 5 Transportation Fuels Markets 42

Arizona

Arizona accounts for 11% of demand for motor gasoline in PADD 5, 3% of demand for jet fuel, and 10% 

of distillate fuel demand. There are no petroleum refineries in Arizona, and the region is supplied with 

product by pipelines that originate in Southern California and West Texas. In 2013 the region consumed 

161,500 b/d of motor gasoline, 14,600 b/d of jet fuel, and 50,600 b/d of distillate fuel.

Figure 26. Arizona 2013 supply/demand balance

thousand barrels per day

Note: All movements are on a net basis.

Source: Stillwater Associates analysis of EIA data

Supply and logistics

Arizona is supplied with all transportation fuels via pipeline from Southern California, New Mexico, and 

Texas. The 400-mile long Kinder Morgan East Line originates in El Paso, Texas and consists of two 

parallel pipelines that end in Phoenix, Arizona. Refineries in Texas and New Mexico can supply product 

into the East Line for delivery to five storage and distribution terminals in Phoenix and two in Tucson, 

Arizona. A disruption to fuel supply from refineries in New Mexico and West Texas into the East Line 

reduce East Line supply into Arizona as there may not be sufficient fuels supply or pipeline capacity from 

other sources to replace the lost fuels supply.

The Kinder Morgan West Line is part of the Kinder Morgan SFPP system. The West Line runs 515 miles 

from the Watson Station in the Los Angeles Basin to Phoenix, Arizona and delivers product into storage 

and distribution terminals in Phoenix.

The two pipelines of the East Line operate at close to full capacity, while the West Line operates at well 

below capacity. As a result, the West Line is a source of incremental supply for Phoenix should supply 

from the East Line be reduced. However, because the transportation time for fuels delivered into 
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U.S. Energy Information Administration | PADD 5 Transportation Fuels Markets 43

Phoenix from Los Angeles, California, is about a week to 10 days, incremental supply to Phoenix would

not be immediately available. There is no backup pipeline capacity for fuels supply from Phoenix into 

Tucson. Incremental supply to Tucson is via long-haul trucking.

The Kinder Morgan East and West Lines are critical to fuels supply to Arizona. Train derailments, as well 

as washouts and pipeline ruptures, have affected the pipelines, sections of which lie in the Union Pacific 

Railroad right of way. Most disruptions have been of short duration.

Figure 27. Arizona petroleum product flows

Motor gasoline supply/demand

In 2013, Arizona consumed 161,500 b/d of motor gasoline. The Kinder Morgan East pipeline supplied 

109,000 b/d, or 67%, of total gasoline from refineries in New Mexico and Texas. An additional 35,000 

b/d of gasoline was sourced from Southern California. Arizona's Cleaner Burning Gasoline (CBG) Program 

calls for a number of different specifications of cleaner burning gasoline in different areas of the state, 

including the greater Maricopa County area (Phoenix metropolitan area); part of Pinal County, which is

between Phoenix and Tucson, and a small portion of Yavapai County; and part of Pima County, which 

includes the Tucson metropolitan area.

The CBG program has two key elements: a summer cleaner-burning fuel blend with a low Reid Vapor

Pressure (RVP) to reduce ozone levels and a winter clean-burning fuel blend with a minimum oxygenate
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U.S. Energy Information Administration | PADD 5 Transportation Fuels Markets 44

content to reduce carbon monoxide levels. Winter CBG must also meet the specifications for CARB

Phase 2 reformulated gasoline. Summer CBG must either meet the winter CARB Phase 2 specifications 

or meet specifications patterned after the federal Phase 2 reformulated gasoline (RFG) program. As a 

result, much of the gasoline required in Arizona is similar to CARB or federal RFG, which provides supply 

advantages. The petroleum component of gasoline blended specifically to meet Arizona gasoline 

specifications is Arizona Blendstock for Oxygenate Blending (AZBOB). 

Arizona’s gasoline demand is primarily supplied by shipments from refineries in El Paso, Texas and other 

refineries on the Gulf Coast, with additional volumes sourced from refineries in Southern California. The 

same supply pattern exists for jet fuel, with most of the region’s jet fuel supplies sourced from the Gulf 

Coast. However, Arizona’s distillate demand is supplied mostly from Southern California refineries, 

representing that region’s relative net length in distillate supplies.

Figure 28. Arizona motor gasoline supply/demand balance

thousand barrels per day

Note: All movements are on a net basis.

Source: Stillwater Associates analysis of EIA data
September 2015

U.S. Energy Information Administration | PADD 5 Transportation Fuels Markets 45

Distillate fuel supply/demand

In 2013, Arizona region consumed 50,600 b/d of distillate fuel. Supply from Southern California averaged 

28,200 b/d (56% of demand), and supply from Texas and New Mexico averaged 21,300 b/d (42% of 

demand). Biodiesel supplied about 3% of Arizona diesel fuel demand in 2013. Arizona requires ultra-low 

sulfur diesel, the specifications for which are less restrictive than CARB diesel. 

Figure 29. Arizona distillate supply/demand balance

thousand barrels per day

Note: All movements are on a net basis.

Source: Stillwater Associates analysis of EIA data
September 2015

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Jet fuel supply/demand

In 2013, Arizona consumed 14,600 b/d16 of jet fuel, most of which was supplied from Texas and New 

Mexico. Jet fuel demand is principally at the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and the Tucson 

International Airport, both of which are supplied from the Kinder Morgan pipeline systems.

Figure 30. Arizona jet fuel supply/demand balance

thousand barrels per day

Note: All movements are on a net basis.

Source: Stillwater Associates analysis of EIA data

Renewable fuels and biofuels supply/demand

Motor gasoline sold in Arizona is blended with ethanol to an average level of 10%, driven by the federal 

RFS program and also by the EPA’s State Winter Oxygenated Fuel program that requires minimum 

oxygenate levels to reduce carbon monoxide emissions. The winter oxygenated fuel season is generally 

October through February or March. Arizona has one ethanol production facility, Pinal Energy, which 

restarted in March 2014 after having been idle for 18 months. Arizona also has biodiesel production 

capacity.

 

16 Non-EIA sources of data estimate Arizona jet fuel consumption at higher levels.
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Retail market 

There are about 23 branded and unbranded fuels retailers operating in Arizona and most, 56%, of the 

retail outlets are unbranded meaning they are unaffiliated with a major oil company brand, although 

they may purchase product from a major oil company and market that product under a different brand. 

Major retail brands in Arizona include Chevron, Circle K, Fry’s, Quik Trip, Shell, and Valero.

Figure 31. Arizona retail market structure

percent of retail outlets

Source: Stillwater Associates analysis of Oil Price Information Service (OPIS) data for the week of December 31, 2014

Note: OPIS data are survey rather than census data, and survey data include transactions from large commercial trucking fleet 

customers using company credit cards and not from cash or credit card sales to the general public.
September 2015

U.S. Energy Information Administration | PADD 5 Transportation Fuels Markets 48

Hawaii

Hawaii is remote and isolated from other PADD 5 regional markets and other PADDs. Hawaii relies 

primarily on in-region refinery production and imports. In 2013, refineries in Hawaii produced 21,500 

b/d of motor gasoline, 20,300 b/d of jet fuel, and 11,800 b/d of diesel fuel sufficient to meet 72% of 

motor gasoline demand, 55% of jet fuel demand, and 81% of distillate fuel demand. Refinery production 

was supplemented with motor gasoline imports of 5,400 b/d, jet fuel imports of 19,700 b/d, and 

distillate imports of 2,200 b/d. Hawaii was also supplied with small volumes of motor gasoline and diesel 

fuel from other PADDs and a small volume of diesel fuel from other PADD 5 regional markets. 

The state’s island geography supports air travel, and as a result, Hawaii’s jet fuel demand, which 

averaged 36,700 b/d in 2013, is higher than demand for both motor gasoline and diesel fuel. Hawaii’s jet 

fuel demand accounted for 8% of PADD 5 demand in 2013, compared with 2% of motor gasoline and 3% 

of diesel fuel demand. The state’s diesel demand is boosted by demand from the electric power sector

and U.S. Navy demand for marine fuels.

Figure 32. Hawaii 2013 supply/demand balance

Note: All movements are on a net basis.

Source: Stillwater Associates analysis of EIA data

Supply and logistics

There are two operating refineries in Hawaii with a combined atmospheric crude distillation unit 

capacity of 147,500 barrels per calendar day (b/cd). The Chevron Barbers Point refinery with capacity of 

54,000 b/cd refines light and very low-sulfur-content crude oil into motor gasoline, distillate fuel, and jet 

fuel. The Par Petroleum Ewa Beach refinery, doing business as Hawaii Independent Energy, has 

atmospheric crude distillation capacity of 93,500 b/cd, and produces mostly jet and diesel fuels. The Ewa 

Beach refinery processes a mix of sweet and moderately heavy crude oils, including imports and oil from 
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the Alaska North Slope. In addition to transportation fuels, Hawaiian refineries produce significant 

quantities of heavy fuels used in electric power generation. 

Table 7. Hawaii refineries

Company Location

Atmospheric Crude 

Distillation Unit (ACDU) 

capacity b/cd Markets served

Chevron USA Honolulu

(Barbers Point)

54,000 Hawaii

Par Petroleum dba 

Hawaii Independent Energy

Ewa Beach 

(Kapolei)

93,500 Hawaii

Source: Stillwater Associates analysis of EIA data

In the first quarter of 2013, the refinery at Ewa Beach (then owned and operated by Tesoro Corporation)

was idled and did not operate for several months. As a result, 2013 data on refinery transportation fuels 

supply are atypical for Hawaiian petroleum product markets. Par Petroleum purchased the Tesoro 

refinery and restarted it in the second quarter of 2013. The refinery is now doing business as Hawaii 

Independent Energy. With the restart, supply is now more consistent with historical patterns. 

In 2013, refineries in Hawaii produced 21,500 b/d of motor gasoline, 20,300 b/d of jet fuel, and 11,800 

b/d of diesel fuel sufficient to meet 72% of motor gasoline demand (81% when blended with ethanol), 

55% of jet fuel demand, and 75% of diesel fuel demand. Refinery production was supplemented with 

motor gasoline imports of 5,400 b/d, jet fuel imports of 19,700 b/d, and diesel imports of 2,200 b/d.

Hawaii was also supplied with small volumes of motor gasoline and diesel fuel from other PADDs and 

supplied a small volume of diesel fuel from other PADD 5 regional markets. 

Product from the refineries on Oahu moves by pipeline to supply storage and distribution terminals on 

Oahu and by marine vessel from the Barbers Point Harbor to terminals on the islands of Maui, Kauai, 

and Hawaii. Product that arrives in Hawaii by marine vessel from other U.S. regions is also processed 

through the Barbers Point Harbor where large seagoing marine vessels can be accommodated. Large 

cargoes are offloaded, and then smaller volumes are shipped by barge to the storage and distribution 

terminals on the other islands. There are 14 storage and distribution terminals outside the Honolulu 

area, many of which are small. 

Product is also shipped to Honolulu International Airport by pipeline across Pearl Harbor and by truck

from Honolulu area terminals. 

The two refineries on Oahu and the Barbers Point port facilities and associated barge fleet are critical to 

Hawaii transportation fuels supply.
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Figure 33. Hawaii refineries and petroleum product flows
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Motor gasoline supply/demand

Hawaii is typically a tightly balanced market for motor gasoline. In 2012, in-region refinery production 

when blended with ethanol was sufficient to supply 99% of motor gasoline demand. On average in 2013, 

in-region refinery production in Hawaii was sufficient to supply only 72% of demand (81% when blended 

with ethanol). Imports and receipts from other PADDs supplied the balance. After the restart of the 

closed refinery, EIA data indicate that balances are more consistent with historical levels.

Figure 34. Hawaii gasoline supply/demand balance

thousand barrels per day

Note: All movements are on a net basis.

Source: Stillwater Associates analysis of EIA data
September 2015

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Distillate fuel supply/demand

Refineries in Hawaii typically produce more distillate fuel than is consumed locally. In 2012, in-region 

refineries produced 129% of average distillate demand and in the first nine months of 2014 produced 

104% of average demand. However, refineries in Hawaii are configured to produce some diesel fuel to 

meet power generation demand. The refineries also lack de-sulfurization capacity. This creates an 

imbalance between the distillate fuels produced in Hawaii, with excess supplies of heavy higher-sulfur 

diesel fuel and a shortage of lower-sulfur distillate fuels like ULSD. As a result, Hawaii exports or ships to 

other parts of PADD 5 heavier distillate fuels, and either imports ULSD or receives it from other PADD 5 

regional markets. The lack of desulfurization capacity at Hawaiian refineries limits crude slate flexibility 

and favors crude oil with very low sulfur content.

Figure 35. Hawaii distillate fuel supply/demand balance

thousand barrels per day

Note: All movements are on a net basis.

Source: Stillwater Associates analysis of EIA data
September 2015

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Jet fuel supply/demand

Hawaii consumes more jet fuel than motor gasoline or diesel fuel. As in-region refineries cannot produce 

sufficient quantities of jet fuel to meet demand, Hawaii imports substantial volumes of jet fuel. In 2013, 

Hawaii imported 19,700 b/d of jet fuel (54% of demand) and in 2012 the state imported jet fuel to meet 

21% of demand. Jet fuel is occasionally transferred to Hawaii from other regions of PADD 5. 

Figure 36. Hawaii jet fuel supply/demand balance

thousand barrels per day

Note: All movements are on a net basis.

Source: Stillwater Associates analysis of EIA data

Renewable fuels and biofuels supply/demand

Transportation fuels sold in Hawaii must comply with the federal Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) that 

mandates transportation fuels sold in the United States contain a minimum volume of renewable fuels. 

However, Hawaii recently passed legislation to eliminate the mandate to blend ethanol into gasoline. It 

is unclear what practical impact the legislation will have because producers will still be required to blend 

renewable fuel into gasoline and diesel under the federal Renewable Fuel Standard program. Ethanol is 

currently shipped to Hawaii from the other regional markets in PADD 5 or from Brazil. Ethanol shipped 

from the West Coast typically originates in the Midwest and moves to the West Coast by rail. Plans to 

produce ethanol in Hawaii using locally grown feedstocks have been slow to materialize despite state 

incentives.
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U.S. Energy Information Administration | PADD 5 Transportation Fuels Markets 54

Retail market 

There are about nine branded and unbranded retailers of transportation fuels in Hawaii, and 76% of 

retail outlets sell branded fuels. Chevron, 76, Aloha, Tesoro, and Shell are among the major retail brands

in Hawaii.

Figure 37. Hawaii retail market structure

percent of retail outlets

Source: Stillwater Associates analysis of Oil Price Information Service (OPIS) data for the week of December 31, 2014

Note: OPIS data are survey rather than census data, and survey data include transactions from large commercial trucking fleet 

customers using company credit cards and not from cash or credit card sales to the general public.
September 2015

U.S. Energy Information Administration | PADD 5 Transportation Fuels Markets 55

Alaska

Alaska has the lowest population of all PADD 5 regions, and as a result, Alaska's demand for motor 

gasoline accounts for a small percentage of total PADD demand. However, the region’s remoteness and 

wide geographic expanse make air travel essential, and Alaska’s demand for jet fuel is higher than for 

motor gasoline. The region’s distillate fuel demand is supported by resource extraction activities and oil 

production in the north. In 2013, Alaska’s demand for motor gasoline was 20,800 b/d, less than 2% of 

total PADD 5 demand; jet fuel demand was 48,400 b/d, 11% of PADD 5 demand; and diesel fuel demand 

was 33,400 b/d, 7% of PADD 5 demand. 

The region is supplied primarily by in-region refinery production, by production from refineries in other 

regions of PADD 5 that is delivered by marine vessel from Washington and California, and by imports.

Figure 38. Alaska 2013 supply/demand balance

thousand barrels per day

Note: All movements are on a net basis.

Source: Stillwater Associates analysis of EIA data

Supply and logistics

There are five operating refineries in Alaska with combined atmospheric crude distillation unit capacity 

of 165,200 barrels per calendar day (b/cd). A sixth refinery, Flint Hills Resources North Pole refinery,

with 126,535 b/cd crude distillation capacity, was closed in 2014 and is being dismantled and converted

to a storage and distribution terminal. 

The operating refineries are dispersed across the state. On the North Slope, two of the three major 

crude oil producers, BP and ConocoPhillips, operate small distillation-only refineries that process Alaska 

North Slope (ANS) crude oil to produce artic diesel fuel for production operations. The refineries inject 

unsold distillation products back into the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS). Petro Star also operates 
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U.S. Energy Information Administration | PADD 5 Transportation Fuels Markets 56

two distillation-only refineries, one in North Pole in central Alaska and the other in Valdez in southern 

Alaska. Both of these facilities blend unsold distillation products back into TAPS. 

Tesoro operates the largest and most complex refinery in Alaska at Kenai. The Tesoro refinery produces 

a wider range of transportation fuels, including motor gasoline, jet fuel, and diesel fuel. The refinery also 

produces asphalt. 

Table 8. Alaska refineries

Company Location

Atmospheric Crude 

Distillation Unit (ACDU) 

capacity b/cd Markets served

Tesoro Kenai 65,000 Anchorage

Petro Star Valdez 55,000 South Alaska/Islands

Petro Star North Pole 19,700 Fairbanks/Central Alaska

Conoco Phillips Prudhoe Bay 15,000 Conoco Phillips Production Operations

BP Prudhoe Bay 10,500 BP Production Operations

Source: Stillwater Associates analysis of EIA data

On an annual average basis, the refineries in Alaska supply 83% of motor gasoline demand, 76% of jet 

fuel demand, and 66% of diesel fuel demand. However, Alaska’s seasonal weather patterns result in 

seasonal differences in consumption. Supply/demand balances and supply patterns vary across the year.

Refinery supply is supplemented with receipts from other PADD 5 regions and imports. Product is 

regularly supplied to southeastern Alaska by marine vessel from Washington and California. Alaska also 

exports a small amount of fuel to Canada and Asia. 

Shipment of product within Alaska is by pipeline between Kenai and Anchorage, by rail between 

Anchorage and Fairbanks, and by marine vessel. The Anchorage-to-Fairbanks rail line and the pipeline to 

Anchorage are critical to the supply chain.

There are 42 small storage/distribution terminals outside the Anchorage area that serve isolated areas. 

Deliveries to some locations are seasonal, occurring only during the summer and fall when barge 

movements are possible. In Southeast Alaska, where there are few roads, fuels are supplied by barge 

from the U.S. West Coast and Canada.

Jet fuel is delivered to the Ted Stevens International Airport via both pipeline and trucks from 

Anchorage-area terminals. 
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Figure 39. Alaska refineries and petroleum product flows
September 2015

U.S. Energy Information Administration | PADD 5 Transportation Fuels Markets 58

Motor gasoline supply/demand

Motor gasoline demand in Alaska is highly seasonal. Demand in the peak summer months is significantly 

higher than in the winter months. In the winter months, in-region refinery production of gasoline is 

almost sufficient to meet demand; during the summer, a combination of imports and marine deliveries 

from other PADD 5 regions supplements in-region refinery production. In 2013, Alaska motor gasoline 

demand averaged 20,800 b/d. In January 2013, demand was about 16,800 b/d and in July demand was 

25,000 b/d.

Alaska does not require the blending of ethanol with motor gasoline so ethanol does not represent the 

typical 9%–10% of motor gasoline as it does in other regions of PADD 5.

Figure 40. Alaska motor gasoline supply/demand balance

thousand barrels per day

Note: All movements are on a net basis.

Source: Stillwater Associates analysis of EIA data
September 2015

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Distillate fuel supply/demand

Alaskan distillate demand, 33,400 b/d on average in 2013, is supplied mostly by in-region refinery 

production (66%), imports (15%), and marine movements from other regions (41%). Some of the 

refineries in Alaska’s North Slope produce off-road diesel fuels for use in oil and natural gas exploration 

and production activities. Diesel is also exported from Alaska to Canada and Asia. 

Figure 41. Alaska distillate fuel supply/demand balance

thousand barrels per day

Note: All movements are on a net basis.

Source: Stillwater Associates analysis of EIA data
September 2015

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Jet fuel supply/demand

Jet fuel is a critical transportation fuel in Alaska. With vast distances to cover across rugged terrain,

aviation is often the only way to access many parts of the state. Alaska’s jet fuel consumption of 48,400 

b/d on average in 2013 accounts for 11% of PADD 5 jet fuel demand. Jet fuel demand is typically higher 

in summer months than in winter. In-region refineries produced jet fuel sufficient to supply 76% of 

average demand in 2013. Imports of 1,500 b/d and receipts of jet fuel from other PADD 5 regions, 

Washington and California, supplied the balance. 

Figure 42. Alaska jet fuel supply/demand balance

thousand barrels per day

Note: All movements are on a net basis.

Source: Stillwater Associates analysis of EIA data

Renewable fuels and biofuels supply/demand

There is minimal biofuels demand in Alaska. There is no requirement to blend ethanol into motor 

gasoline. EIA data indicate that there is one biodiesel production facility in the state as of April 2015. 
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Retail market 

There are 9 branded and unbranded retailers with approximately 165 retail outlets in Alaska. Most of 

the retail locations (57%) are branded. Major retail brands include Holiday, Tesoro, Chevron, and Shell. 

Figure 43. Alaska retail market structure

percent of retail outlets

Source: Stillwater Associates analysis of Oil Price Information Service (OPIS) data for the week of December 31, 2014

Note: OPIS data are survey rather than census data, and survey data include transactions from large commercial trucking fleet 

customers using company credit cards and not from cash or credit card sales to the general public.