Guarantees and Contingencies	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Commitments And Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Guarantees and Contingencies	18. Guarantees and Contingencies At December 31, 2014, the Corporation has $54 million in letters of credit for which it is contingently liable. In addition, the Corporation is subject to loss contingencies with respect to various lawsuits, claims and other proceedings, including environmental matters. A liability is recognized in the Corporation’s consolidated financial statements when it is probable that a loss has been incurred and the amount can be reasonably estimated. If the risk of loss is probable, but the amount cannot be reasonably estimated or the risk of loss is only reasonably possible, a liability is not accrued; however, the Corporation discloses the nature of those contingencies. In July 2004, HOVIC and HOVENSA, each received a letter from the Commissioner of the Virgin Islands Department of Planning and Natural Resources and Natural Resources Trustees, advising of the Trustee’s intention to bring suit against HOVIC and HOVENSA under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA). The letter alleges that HOVIC and HOVENSA are potentially responsible for damages to natural resources arising from releases of hazardous substances from the HOVENSA refinery, which had been operated by HOVIC until October 1998. An action was filed on May 5, 2005 in the District Court of the Virgin Islands against HOVENSA, HOVIC and other companies that operated industrial facilities on the south shore of St. Croix asserting that the defendants are liable under CERCLA and territorial statutory and common law for damages to natural resources. In 2014 HOVIC, HOVENSA and the government of the U.S. Virgin Islands entered into a settlement agreement pursuant to which HOVENSA paid $3.5 million and agreed to pay the government of the U.S. Virgin Islands an additional $40 million no later than December 31, 2014. HOVENSA was unable to make this additional payment because the U.S.Virgin Islands legislature did not approve a proposed operating agreement required to complete a proposed sale of HOVENSA, which would have provided funds to make the settlement payment. Under the terms of the settlement agreement, the U.S. Virgin Islands government was granted a first lien on HOVENSA’s assets to secure the settlement payment, and in January 2015 the government commenced a foreclosure action to enforce this lien. HOVENSA intends to defend this action and may take other steps in response to the action, including the sale of assets and/or the commencement of bankruptcy proceedings. The Registrant does not believe that the resolution of this matter will have a material adverse effect on its financial condition. In February 2015, the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) issued a notice of determination to terminate the HOVENSA pension plan. HOVENSA had been in negotiations with the PBGC to make additional contributions to the plan with proceeds from a proposed sale of HOVENSA, which was not completed for the reasons described above. The Registrant does not believe that the resolution of this matter will have a material adverse effect on its financial condition. The Corporation, along with many companies engaged in refining and marketing of gasoline, has been a party to lawsuits and claims related to the use of methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) in gasoline. A series of similar lawsuits, many involving water utilities or governmental entities, were filed in jurisdictions across the U.S. against producers of MTBE and petroleum refiners who produced gasoline containing MTBE, including the Corporation. The principal allegation in all cases was that gasoline containing MTBE is a defective product and that these parties are strictly liable in proportion to their share of the gasoline market for damage to groundwater resources and are required to take remedial action to ameliorate the alleged effects on the environment of releases of MTBE. The majority of the cases asserted against the Corporation have been settled. In March 2014, the Corporation agreed to settle claims against it arising out of an action brought by the State of New Jersey for approximately $35 million. The settlement was approved by the trial judge and the Corporation paid the settlement amount in December 2014. In June 2014, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the State of Vermont each filed independent lawsuits alleging that the Corporation and all major oil companies with operations in each respective state, have damaged the groundwater in those states by introducing thereto gasoline with MTBE. The Pennsylvania suit has been removed to Federal court and has been forwarded to the existing MTBE multidistrict litigation pending in the Southern District of New York. The suit filed in Vermont is proceeding there in a state court. An action brought by the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico also remained unresolved at December 31, 2014. The Corporation has recorded reserves for its estimated liabilities for its unresolved MTBE lawsuits. The Corporation is subject to loss contingencies with respect to various claims, lawsuits and other proceedings. The Corporation cannot predict with certainty if, how or when such claims, lawsuits and proceedings will be resolved or what the eventual relief, if any, may be. Numerous issues may need to be resolved, including through lengthy discovery, conciliation and/or arbitration proceedings, or litigation before a loss or range of loss can be reasonably estimated. Subject to the foregoing, in management’s opinion, based upon currently known facts and circumstances, the outcome of such lawsuits, claims and proceedings is not expected to have a material adverse effect on the financial condition of the Corporation. However, the Corporation could incur judgments, enter into settlements or revise its opinion regarding the outcome of certain matters, and such developments could have a material adverse effect on its results of operations in the period in which the amounts are accrued and its cash flows in the period in which the amounts are paid.

18. Guarantees and Contingencies

At December 31, 2014, the Corporation has $54 million in letters of credit for which it is contingently liable. In addition, the Corporation is subject to loss contingencies with respect to various lawsuits, claims and other proceedings, including environmental matters. A liability is recognized in the Corporation’s consolidated financial statements when it is probable that a loss has been incurred and the amount can be reasonably estimated. If the risk of loss is probable, but the amount cannot be reasonably estimated or the risk of loss is only reasonably possible, a liability is not accrued; however, the Corporation discloses the nature of those contingencies.

In July 2004, HOVIC and HOVENSA, each received a letter from the Commissioner of the Virgin Islands Department of Planning and Natural Resources and Natural Resources Trustees, advising of the Trustee’s intention to bring suit against HOVIC and HOVENSA under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA). The letter alleges that HOVIC and HOVENSA are potentially responsible for damages to natural resources arising from releases of hazardous substances from the HOVENSA refinery, which had been operated by HOVIC until October 1998. An action was filed on May 5, 2005 in the District Court of the Virgin Islands against HOVENSA, HOVIC and other companies that operated industrial facilities on the south shore of St. Croix asserting that the defendants are liable under CERCLA and territorial statutory and common law for damages to natural resources. In 2014 HOVIC, HOVENSA and the government of the U.S. Virgin Islands entered into a settlement agreement pursuant to which HOVENSA paid $3.5 million and agreed to pay the government of the U.S. Virgin Islands an additional $40 million no later than December 31, 2014. HOVENSA was unable to make this additional payment because the U.S.Virgin Islands legislature did not approve a proposed operating agreement required to complete a proposed sale of HOVENSA, which would have provided funds to make the settlement payment. Under the terms of the settlement agreement, the U.S. Virgin Islands government was granted a first lien on HOVENSA’s assets to secure the settlement payment, and in January 2015 the government commenced a foreclosure action to enforce this lien. HOVENSA intends to defend this action and may take other steps in response to the action, including the sale of assets and/or the commencement of bankruptcy proceedings. The Registrant does not believe that the resolution of this matter will have a material adverse effect on its financial condition.

In February 2015, the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) issued a notice of determination to terminate the HOVENSA pension plan. HOVENSA had been in negotiations with the PBGC to make additional contributions to the plan with proceeds from a proposed sale of HOVENSA, which was not completed for the reasons described above. The Registrant does not believe that the resolution of this matter will have a material adverse effect on its financial condition.

The Corporation, along with many companies engaged in refining and marketing of gasoline, has been a party to lawsuits and claims related to the use of methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) in gasoline. A series of similar lawsuits, many involving water utilities or governmental entities, were filed in jurisdictions across the U.S. against producers of MTBE and petroleum refiners who produced gasoline containing MTBE, including the Corporation. The principal allegation in all cases was that gasoline containing MTBE is a defective product and that these parties are strictly liable in proportion to their share of the gasoline market for damage to groundwater resources and are required to take remedial action to ameliorate the alleged effects on the environment of releases of MTBE. The majority of the cases asserted against the Corporation have been settled. In March 2014, the Corporation agreed to settle claims against it arising out of an action brought by the State of New Jersey for approximately $35 million. The settlement was approved by the trial judge and the Corporation paid the settlement amount in December 2014. In June 2014, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the State of Vermont each filed independent lawsuits alleging that the Corporation and all major oil companies with operations in each respective state, have damaged the groundwater in those states by introducing thereto gasoline with MTBE. The Pennsylvania suit has been removed to Federal court and has been forwarded to the existing MTBE multidistrict litigation pending in the Southern District of New York. The suit filed in Vermont is proceeding there in a state court. An action brought by the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico also remained unresolved at December 31, 2014. The Corporation has recorded reserves for its estimated liabilities for its unresolved MTBE lawsuits.

The Corporation is subject to loss contingencies with respect to various claims, lawsuits and other proceedings. The Corporation cannot predict with certainty if, how or when such claims, lawsuits and proceedings will be resolved or what the eventual relief, if any, may be. Numerous issues may need to be resolved, including through lengthy discovery, conciliation and/or arbitration proceedings, or litigation before a loss or range of loss can be reasonably estimated. Subject to the foregoing, in management’s opinion, based upon currently known facts and circumstances, the outcome of such lawsuits, claims and proceedings is not expected to have a material adverse effect on the financial condition of the Corporation. However, the Corporation could incur judgments, enter into settlements or revise its opinion regarding the outcome of certain matters, and such developments could have a material adverse effect on its results of operations in the period in which the amounts are accrued and its cash flows in the period in which the amounts are paid.