The U.S. petroleum refining industry is a strong contributor to the economic health of the United States, providing nearly $160 billion in annual shipments and employing 65,000 people in 1997 [DOC 1997]. Up to 2 million workers are employed in nearly 200,000 service stations around the United States. The wage paid to production workers in petroleum refineries is the highest in the nation, about $24 per hour [DOC 1997].

The United States is the largest, most sophisticated producer of refined petroleum products in the world, representing about 25% of global production. At the end of 1997 the United States had 163 operating refineries and 15.6 million barrels per day of crude oil distillation capacity [DOE/EIA 1999].

The petroleum industry has been dramatically impacted over the last three decades by geopolitical disruptions and volatile world oil prices. Today refiners must deal with volatile crude prices, crude quality variability, low marketing and transport profit margins, and the increasing capital and operating costs of environmental compliance. Refiners also import about 50% of crude oil and other feedstocks from foreign producers [DOE 1998].