Uncertainty

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2023

Risks and Uncertainties [Abstract]

UNCERTAINTY

2.    UNCERTAINTY

In September 2022, California adopted Senate Bill No. 1322 (SB 1322), which requires refineries in California to report monthly on the volume and cost of the crude oil they buy, the quantity and price of the wholesale gasoline they sell, and the gross gasoline margin per barrel, among other information. The provisions of SB 1322 were effective January 2023, and we began the required monthly reporting for our two California refineries at that time.

In March 2023, California adopted Senate Bill No. 2 (such statute, together with any regulations contemplated or issued thereunder, SBx 1-2), which, among other things, (i) authorizes the establishment of a maximum gross gasoline refining margin (max margin) and the imposition of a financial penalty for profits above a max margin, (ii) significantly expands the reporting obligations under SB 1322 and the

Petroleum Industry Information Reporting Act of 1980, which include reporting requirements to the California Energy Commission (CEC) for all participants in the petroleum industry supply chain in California (e.g., refiners, marketers, importers, transporters, terminals, producers, renewables producers, pipelines, and ports), (iii) creates the Division of Petroleum Market Oversight within the CEC to analyze the data provided under SBx 1-2, and (iv) authorizes the CEC to regulate the timing and other aspects of refinery turnaround and maintenance activities in certain instances. The provisions of SBx 1-2 are expected to become effective June 26, 2023. The CEC has not yet undertaken rulemaking with respect to SBx 1-2, including the establishment of any max margin, the imposition of a financial penalty, restrictions on turnaround and maintenance activities, or determining the format and manner in which the increased data is to be reported, and it is uncertain when or whether any such rulemaking will occur. The increased reporting is substantial, requiring daily, weekly, monthly, and annual reporting of detailed operational and financial data on all aspects of our operations in California, much of it at the transaction level. In addition, the required operational data will include our plans for turnaround and maintenance activities at our two California refineries and how we expect to address the potential impacts on feedstock and product inventories in California as a result of such turnaround and maintenance activities.

We are reviewing and analyzing the provisions of SBx 1-2 and the possible impacts to our refining and marketing operations in California. While the CEC has not yet established a max margin, imposed a financial penalty for profits above a max margin, or imposed restrictions on turnaround and maintenance activities, the potential implementation of a financial penalty or any restrictions or delays on our ability to undertake turnaround or maintenance activities creates uncertainty due to the potential adverse effects on us. Any adverse effects on our operations or financial performance in California could indicate that the carrying value of our assets in California is not recoverable, which would result in an impairment loss that could be material. In addition, if the circumstances that trigger an impairment loss result in a reduction in the estimated useful lives of the assets, we may be required to recognize an asset retirement obligation that could be material. Other jurisdictions are contemplating similarly focused legislation or actions.

The ultimate timing and impacts of SBx 1-2 and any other similarly focused legislation or actions are subject to considerable uncertainty due to a number of factors, including technological and economic feasibility, legal challenges, and potential changes in law, regulation, or policy, and it is not currently possible to predict the ultimate effects of these matters and developments on us.