Description of Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Description of Business: References herein to HollyFrontier Corporation (“HollyFrontier”) include HollyFrontier and its consolidated subsidiaries. In accordance with the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (“SEC”) “Plain English” guidelines, this Annual Report on Form 10-K has been written in the first person. In these financial statements, the words “we,” “our,” “ours” and “us” refer only to HollyFrontier and its consolidated subsidiaries or to HollyFrontier or an individual subsidiary and not to any other person, with certain exceptions. Generally, the words “we,” “our,” “ours” and “us” include Holly Energy Partners, L.P. (“HEP”) and its subsidiaries as consolidated subsidiaries of HollyFrontier, unless when used in disclosures of transactions or obligations between HEP and HollyFrontier or its other subsidiaries. These financial statements contain certain disclosures of agreements that are specific to HEP and its consolidated subsidiaries and do not necessarily represent obligations of HollyFrontier. When used in descriptions of agreements and transactions, “HEP” refers to HEP and its consolidated subsidiaries.

We are principally an independent petroleum refiner that produces high-value light products such as gasoline, diesel fuel, jet fuel, specialty lubricant products, and specialty and modified asphalt. We own and operate petroleum refineries that serve markets throughout the Mid-Continent, Southwest and Rocky Mountain regions of the United States. In addition, we own and operate a lubricant production facility with retail and wholesale marketing of its products through a global sales network with locations in Canada, United States, Europe and China. As of December 31, 2018, we:

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owned and operated a petroleum refinery in El Dorado, Kansas (the “El Dorado Refinery”), two refinery facilities located in Tulsa, Oklahoma (collectively, the “Tulsa Refineries”), a refinery in Artesia, New Mexico that is operated in conjunction with crude oil distillation and vacuum distillation and other facilities situated 65 miles away in Lovington, New Mexico (collectively, the “Navajo Refinery”), a refinery located in Cheyenne, Wyoming (the “Cheyenne Refinery”) and a refinery in Woods Cross, Utah (the “Woods Cross Refinery”);


•	owned and operated Petro-Canada Lubricants Inc. (“PCLI”) located in Mississauga, Ontario which produces base oils and other specialized lubricant products;


•	owned and operated Red Giant Oil Company LLC (“Red Giant Oil”), which supplies locomotive engine oil with storage and distribution facilities in Iowa, Kansas, Utah and Wyoming, along with a blending and packaging facility in Texas;


•	owned and operated HollyFrontier Asphalt Company (“HFC Asphalt”) which operates various asphalt terminals in Arizona, New Mexico and Oklahoma; and

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owned a 57% limited partner interest and a non-economic general partner interest in HEP. HEP owns and operates logistic assets consisting of petroleum product and crude oil pipelines, terminals, tankage, loading rack facilities and refinery processing units that principally support our refining and marketing operations in the Mid-Continent, Southwest and Rocky Mountain regions of the United States.

On November 12, 2018, we entered into an equity purchase agreement to acquire 100% of the issued and outstanding capital stock of Sonneborn US Holdings Inc. and 100% of the membership rights in Sonneborn Coöperatief U.A. (collectively, “Sonneborn”). The acquisition closed on February 1, 2019.

On July 10, 2018, we entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Red Giant Oil, a privately-owned lubricants company. The acquisition closed on August 1, 2018.

On October 29, 2016, we entered into a share purchase agreement with Suncor Energy Inc. (“Suncor”) to acquire 100% of the outstanding capital stock of PCLI. The acquisition closed on February 1, 2017.

See Note 2 for additional information on these acquisitions.

Principles of Consolidation: Our consolidated financial statements include our accounts and the accounts of partnerships and joint ventures that we control through an ownership interest greater than 50% or through a controlling financial interest with respect to variable interest entities. All significant intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated.

Variable Interest Entities: HEP is a VIE as defined under U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”). A VIE is a legal entity whose equity owners do not have sufficient equity at risk for the entity to finance its activities without additional subordinated financial support or, as a group, the equity holders lack the power, through voting rights, to direct the activities that most significantly impact the entity's financial performance, the obligation to absorb the entity's expected losses or rights to expected residual returns. As the general partner of HEP, we have the sole ability to direct the activities of HEP that most significantly impact HEP's financial performance, and therefore as HEP's primary beneficiary, we consolidate HEP.

Use of Estimates: The preparation of financial statements in accordance with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Cash Equivalents: We consider all highly liquid instruments with a maturity of three months or less at the date of purchase to be cash equivalents. Cash equivalents are stated at cost, which approximates market value and are primarily invested in highly-rated instruments issued by government or municipal entities with strong credit standings.

Balance Sheet Offsetting: We purchase and sell inventories of crude oil with certain same-parties that are net settled in accordance with contractual net settlement provisions. Our policy is to present such balances on a net basis since it presents our accounts receivables and payables consistent with our contractual settlement provisions.

Accounts Receivable: Our accounts receivable consist of amounts due from customers that are primarily companies in the petroleum industry. Credit is extended based on our evaluation of the customer's financial condition, and in certain circumstances collateral, such as letters of credit or guarantees, is required. We reserve for doubtful accounts based on our historical loss experience as well as specific accounts identified as high risk, which historically have been minimal. Credit losses are charged to the allowance for doubtful accounts when an account is deemed uncollectible. Our allowance for doubtful accounts was $3.6 million at both December 31, 2018 and 2017.

Accounts receivable attributable to crude oil resales generally represent the sell of excess crude oil to other purchasers and / or users in cases when our crude oil supplies are in excess of our immediate needs as well as certain reciprocal buy / sell exchanges of crude oil. At times we enter into such buy / sell exchanges to facilitate the delivery of quantities to certain locations. In many cases, we enter into net settlement agreements relating to the buy / sell arrangements, which may mitigate credit risk.

Inventories: Inventories related to our refining operations are stated at the lower of cost, using the last-in, first-out (“LIFO”) method for crude oil and unfinished and finished refined products, or market. Cost, consisting of raw material, transportation and conversion costs, is determined using the LIFO inventory valuation methodology and market is determined using current replacement costs. Under the LIFO method, the most recently incurred costs are charged to cost of sales and inventories are valued at the earliest acquisition costs. In periods of rapidly declining prices, LIFO inventories may have to be written down to market value due to the higher costs assigned to LIFO layers in prior periods. In addition, the use of the LIFO inventory method may result in increases or decreases to cost of sales in years that inventory volumes decline as the result of charging cost of sales with LIFO inventory costs generated in prior periods. An actual valuation of inventory under the LIFO method is made at the end of each year based on the inventory levels at that time. Accordingly, interim LIFO calculations are based on management's estimates of expected year-end inventory levels and are subject to the final year-end LIFO inventory valuation.

Inventories of our Petro-Canada Lubricants business are stated at the lower of cost, using the first-in, first-out method, or net realizable value.

Inventories consisting of process chemicals, materials and maintenance supplies and RINs are stated at the lower of weighted-average cost or net realizable value.

Derivative Instruments: All derivative instruments are recognized as either assets or liabilities in our consolidated balance sheets and are measured at fair value. Changes in the derivative instrument's fair value are recognized in earnings unless specific hedge accounting criteria are met. See Note 13 for additional information.

Properties, Plants and Equipment: Properties, plants and equipment are stated at cost. Depreciation is provided by the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets, primarily 15 to 32 years for refining, pipeline and terminal facilities, 10 to 40 years for buildings and improvements, 5 to 30 years for other fixed assets and 5 years for vehicles.

Asset Retirement Obligations: We record legal obligations associated with the retirement of long-lived assets that result from the acquisition, construction, development and / or the normal operation of long-lived assets. The fair value of the estimated cost to retire a tangible long-lived asset is recorded as a liability with the associated retirement costs capitalized as part of the asset's carrying amount in the period in which it is incurred and when a reasonable estimate of the fair value of the liability can be made. If a reasonable estimate cannot be made at the time the liability is incurred, we record the liability when sufficient information is available to estimate the liability's fair value. Certain of our refining assets have no recorded liability for asset retirement obligations since the timing of any retirement and related costs are currently indeterminable.

Our asset retirement obligations were $28.7 million and $24.8 million at December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively, which are included in “Other long-term liabilities” in our consolidated balance sheets. Accretion expense was insignificant for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016.

Intangibles, Goodwill and Long-lived Assets: Intangible assets are assets (other than financial assets) that lack physical substance, and goodwill represents the excess of the cost of an acquired entity over the fair value of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed. Goodwill acquired in a business combination and intangibles with indefinite useful lives are not amortized, whereas intangible assets with finite useful lives are amortized on a straight-line basis. Goodwill and intangible assets that are not subject to amortization are tested for impairment annually or more frequently if an event occurs or circumstances change that would more likely than not reduce the fair value of a reporting unit below its carrying amount. Goodwill impairment testing first entails a comparison of our reporting unit fair values relative to their respective carrying values. If carrying value exceeds fair value for a reporting unit, we measure goodwill impairment as the excess of the carrying amount of reporting unit goodwill over the implied fair value of that goodwill based on estimates of the fair value of all assets and liabilities in the reporting unit. The carrying amount of our intangible assets and goodwill may fluctuate from period to period due to the effects of foreign currency translation adjustments on goodwill and intangible assets assigned to our Lubricants and Specialty Products segment.

Our long-lived assets principally consist of our refining assets that are organized as refining asset groups and our lubricants and specialty products business. Our long-lived assets are evaluated for impairment by identifying whether indicators of impairment exist and if so, assessing whether the long-lived assets are recoverable from estimated future undiscounted cash flows. The actual amount of impairment loss measured, if any, is equal to the amount by which the asset group’s carrying value exceeds its fair value.

See Note 10 for additional information regarding our goodwill and long-lived assets including impairment charges recorded during the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016.

Investments in Joint Ventures: We account for investments in which we have a noncontrolling interest, yet have significant influence over the entity, using the equity method of accounting, whereby we record our pro-rata share of earnings, and contributions to and distributions from joint ventures as adjustments to our investment balance. HEP has a 50% interest in Osage Pipe Line Company, LLC, the owner of a pipeline running from Cushing, Oklahoma to El Dorado, Kansas (the “Osage Pipeline”) and a 50% interest in Cheyenne Pipeline, LLC, the owner of a pipeline running from Fort Laramie, Wyoming to Cheyenne, Wyoming (the “Cheyenne Pipeline”), that are accounted for using the equity method of accounting. As of December 31, 2018, HEP's underlying equity and recorded investment balances in the joint ventures are $39.3 million and $83.8 million, respectively. The differences are being amortized as adjustments to HEP's pro-rata share of earnings in the joint ventures.

Revenue Recognition: Revenue on refined product and excess crude oil sales are recognized when delivered (via pipeline, in-tank or rack) and the customer obtains control of such inventory, which is typically when title passes and the customer is billed. All revenues are reported inclusive of shipping and handling costs billed and exclusive of any taxes billed to customers. Shipping and handling costs incurred are reported as cost of products sold. Additionally, our lubricants and specialty products business has sales agreements with marketers and distributors that provide certain rights of return or provisions for the repurchase of products previously sold to them. Under these agreements, revenues and cost of revenues are deferred until the products have been sold to end customers. HEP recognizes revenues as products are shipped through its pipelines and terminals and as other services are rendered. Additionally, HEP has certain throughput agreements that specify minimum volume requirements, whereby HEP bills a customer for a minimum level of shipments in the event a customer ships below their contractual requirements. If there are no future performance obligations, HEP recognizes these deficiency payments as revenue. In certain of these throughput agreements, a customer may later utilize such shortfall billings as credit towards future volume shipments in excess of its minimum levels within its respective contractual shortfall make-up period. Such amounts represent an obligation to perform future services, which may be initially deferred and later recognized as revenue based on estimated future shipping levels, including the likelihood of a customer’s ability to utilize such amounts prior to the end of the contractual shortfall make-up period. HEP recognizes the service portion of these deficiency payments as revenue when HEP does not expect it will be required to satisfy these performance obligations in the future based on the pattern of rights exercised by the customer. Payment terms under our contracts with customers are consistent with industry norms and are typically payable within 30 days of the date of invoice.

Cost Classifications: Costs of products sold include the cost of crude oil, other feedstocks, blendstocks and purchased finished products, inclusive of transportation costs. We purchase crude oil that at times exceeds the supply needs of our refineries. Quantities in excess of our needs are sold at market prices to purchasers of crude oil that are recorded on a gross basis with the sales price recorded as revenues and the corresponding acquisition cost as cost of products sold. Additionally, we enter into buy / sell exchanges of crude oil with certain parties to facilitate the delivery of quantities to certain locations that are netted at cost. Operating expenses include direct costs of labor, maintenance materials and services, utilities and other direct operating costs. Selling, general and administrative expenses include compensation, professional services and other support costs.

Deferred Maintenance Costs: Our refinery units require regular major maintenance and repairs which are commonly referred to as “turnarounds.” Catalysts used in certain refinery processes also require regular “change-outs.” The required frequency of the maintenance varies by unit and by catalyst, but generally is every two to five years. Turnaround costs are deferred and amortized over the period until the next scheduled turnaround. Other repairs and maintenance costs are expensed when incurred. Deferred turnaround and catalyst amortization expense was $110.9 million, $112.9 million and $110.6 million for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively.

Environmental Costs: Environmental costs are charged to operating expenses if they relate to an existing condition caused by past operations and do not contribute to current or future revenue generation. We have ongoing investigations of environmental matters at various locations and routinely assess our recorded environmental obligations, if any, with respect to such matters. Liabilities are recorded when site restoration and environmental remediation, cleanup and other obligations are either known or considered probable and can be reasonably estimated. Such estimates are undiscounted and require judgment with respect to costs, time frame and extent of required remedial and clean-up activities and are subject to periodic adjustments based on currently available information. Recoveries of environmental costs through insurance, indemnification arrangements or other sources are included in other assets to the extent such recoveries are considered probable.

Contingencies: We are subject to proceedings, lawsuits and other claims related to environmental, labor, product and other matters. We are required to assess the likelihood of any adverse judgments or outcomes to these matters as well as potential ranges of probable losses. A determination of the amount of reserves required, if any, for these contingencies is made after careful analysis of each individual issue. The required reserves may change in the future due to new developments in each matter or changes in approach such as a change in settlement strategy in dealing with these matters.

Foreign Currency Translation: The functional currency of PCLI and its affiliated non-U.S. Petro-Canada Lubricants entities includes the Canadian dollar, the euro and Chinese renminbi. Balance sheet accounts are translated into U.S. dollars using exchange rates in effect as of the balance sheet date. Revenue and expense accounts are translated using the weighted-average exchange rates during the period presented. Foreign currency translation adjustments are recorded as a component of accumulated other comprehensive income.

In connection with our PCLI acquisition on February 1, 2017, we issued intercompany notes to initially fund certain of our foreign businesses. Remeasurement adjustments resulting from the conversion of such intercompany financing amounts to functional currencies are recorded as gains and losses as a component of other income (expense) in the income statement. Such adjustments are not recorded to the Lubricants and Specialty Products segment operations, but to corporate and other. See Note 20 for additional information on our segments.

Income Taxes: Provisions for income taxes include deferred taxes resulting from temporary differences in income for financial and tax purposes, using the liability method of accounting for income taxes. The liability method requires the effect of tax rate changes on deferred income taxes to be reflected in the period in which the rate change was enacted. The liability method also requires that deferred tax assets be reduced by a valuation allowance unless it is more likely than not that the assets will be realized.

Potential interest and penalties related to income tax matters are recognized in income tax expense. We believe we have appropriate support for the income tax positions taken and to be taken on our income tax returns and that our accruals for tax liabilities are adequate for all open years based on an assessment of many factors, including past experience and interpretations of tax law applied to the facts of each matter.

Inventory Repurchase Obligations: We periodically enter into same-party sell / buy transactions, whereby we sell certain refined product inventory and subsequently repurchase the inventory in order to facilitate delivery to certain locations. Such sell / buy transactions are accounted for as inventory repurchase obligations under which proceeds received under the initial sell is recognized as an inventory repurchase obligation that is subsequently reversed when the inventory is repurchased. For the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016, we received proceeds of $51.2 million, $47.4 million and $57.0 million and subsequently repaid $52.5 million, $49.8 million and $58.0 million, respectively, under these sell / buy transactions.

Accounting Pronouncements - Recently Adopted

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income

In February 2018, Accounting Standard Update (“ASU”) 2018-02, “Reclassification of Certain Tax Effects from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (“AOCI”),” was issued permitting a reclassification of stranded tax effects caused by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act enacted on December 22, 2017 between AOCI and retained earnings. We adopted this standard effective in the first quarter of 2018 and recorded a cumulative effect adjustment of $3.6 million as an increase to AOCI and a decrease to retained earnings. During the third quarter of 2018, we completed analysis of the accounting for the stranded tax effects on AOCI and recorded an additional $3.1 million as an increase to AOCI and a decrease to retained earnings.

Hedge Accounting

In August 2017, ASU 2017-12, “Derivatives and Hedging: Targeted Improvements to Accounting for Hedging Activities,” was issued amending hedge accounting recognition and presentation requirements, including elimination of the requirement to separately measure and report hedge ineffectiveness, and eased certain documentation and assessment requirements. We adopted this standard effective January 1, 2018 and recorded a cumulative effect adjustment of $0.1 million as a decrease to AOCI and an increase to retained earnings to eliminate the separate measurement of hedge ineffectiveness existing at the date of adoption. Our amended presentation and disclosures have been applied prospectively in Note 13.

Stock Compensation

In May 2017, ASU 2017-09, “Stock Compensation: Scope of Modification Accounting,” was issued to provide clarity to accounting for share-based payment awards in the event of a modification in the terms or conditions. We adopted this standard effective January 1, 2018, which did not affect our financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

Post-retirement Benefit Cost

In March 2017, ASU 2017-07, “Improving the Presentation of Net Periodic Pension Cost and Net Periodic Post-retirement Benefit Cost,” was issued amending current GAAP related to the income statement presentation of the components of net periodic pension cost and net periodic post-retirement cost (credit). We adopted this standard effective January 1, 2018 on a retrospective basis with the presentation of service cost separate from the other components of net periodic costs. The interest cost, expected return on plan assets and amortization of prior service credit have been reclassified from cost of products sold, operating expenses and selling, general and administrative expenses to other, net. The adoption of this standard had no impact on our financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.

The effect of the retrospective presentation change related to the net periodic cost / benefit of our defined benefit pension and other post-retirement plans on our consolidated income statement was as follows:



	Year Ended December 31, 2017
Income Statement	Prior to Adoption		Increase		As Adjusted
	(In thousands)
Cost of products sold	$	11,467,799	$	74	$	11,467,873
Operating expenses	$	1,294,234	$	2,435	$	1,296,669
Selling, general and administrative expenses	$	264,874	$	847	$	265,721
Other, net	$	826	$	3,356	$	4,182



	Year Ended December 31, 2016
Income Statement	Prior to Adoption			Increase		As Adjusted
	(In thousands)
Cost of products sold	$	8,765,927		$	100	$	8,766,027
Operating expenses	$	1,018,839		$	2,313	$	1,021,152
Selling, general and administrative expenses	$	125,648		$	282	$	125,930
Other, net	$	(921	)	$	2,695	$	1,774

Business Combinations

In January 2017, ASU 2017-01, “Business Combinations: Clarifying the Definition of a Business,” was issued clarifying the definition of a business with the objective of providing guidance to assist entities with evaluating whether transactions should be accounted for as acquisitions (or disposals) of assets or businesses. We adopted this standard effective January 1, 2018, which did not affect our financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

Cash Flow Presentation

In August 2016, ASU 2016-15, “Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments,” was issued clarifying how entities should classify certain cash receipts and cash payments in the statements of cash flows and amends certain disclosure requirements. We adopted this standard effective January 1, 2018, which did not affect our financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

Revenue Recognition

In May 2014, ASU 2014-09 “Revenue from Contracts with Customers” was issued requiring revenue to be recognized when promised goods or services are transferred to customers in an amount that reflects the expected consideration for these goods or services. We adopted this standard effective January 1, 2018, which resulted in changes to our revenue recognition policies on certain customer contracts. We have lubricant product sales agreements with U.S. and European marketers and distributors that provide rights of return provisions under which we repurchase such products and sell directly to end customers. Prior to January 1, 2018, we recognized revenues and costs, net of allowances for expected returns under such agreements when such products were shipped to U.S. and European distributors. Effective with the adoption of ASU 2014-09, revenues and related product costs are no longer recognized when products are shipped to distributors, but rather, revenues and costs are recognized in earnings only when such products are ultimately sold to end customers.

We adopted this standard using the modified retrospective method, whereby the cumulative effect of applying the new standard was recorded as an adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings as well as the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities as of January 1, 2018, which had no impact on our cash flows. The following reflects the cumulative effect of adoption as of January 1, 2018.



	Prior to Adoption		Increase (Decrease)			As Adjusted
	(In thousands)
Accounts receivable: Product and transportation	$	659,530	$	(8,198	)	$	651,332
Inventories: Crude oil and refined products	$	1,409,538	$	5,124		$	1,414,662
Accounts payable	$	1,220,795	$	7,336		$	1,228,131
Deferred income taxes	$	647,785	$	(2,963	)	$	644,822
Retained earnings	$	3,346,615	$	(7,447	)	$	3,339,168

See Note 4 for additional disclosures of revenues.

Accounting Pronouncements - Not Yet Adopted

Leases

In February 2016, ASU 2016-02, “Leases,” was issued requiring leases to be measured and recognized as a lease liability, with a corresponding right-of-use asset on the balance sheet. This standard has an effective date of January 1, 2019, and we have elected to adopt using the modified retrospective transition method, whereby comparative prior period financial information will not be restated and will continue to be reported under the lease accounting standard in effect during those periods. We have also elected practical expedients provided by the new standard, including the package of practical expedients and the short-term lease recognition practical expedient, which allows an entity to not recognize leases with a term of 12 months or less on the balance sheet.