News Release

Situation Update 11:00 AM

Wyoming Refinery Company (WRC) experienced an operational upset about 10:37 PM the evening of February 12, 2025.  No one was injured, and refinery fence-line air monitoring indicates no safety or environmental concerns.  WRC acknowledges the critical role Weston Country Emergency Services and Newcastle Police played in the initial hours in support of public safety.

WRC is intently focused on ensuring the health and safety of our employees and local community.  Minimizing impact to the public and environment guides everything we do.  We appreciate the ongoing coordination and cooperation with Weston County and Newcastle Police Department.

The refinery remains idle as refinery personnel investigate the incident and complete the safe shutdown of the process equipment.  Care is being taken to avoid any further freeze damage to equipment and observe safe working conditions.  Damage assessment activities will continue as will the ongoing removal of any residual products from other units and piping.

WRC personnel and contractors are working around the clock in challenging temperatures to safely prepare the removal of damaged equipment and effecting repairs.  There may be noticeable flaring activities as residual products are safely removed from towers and piping.  While this can produce visible flame and noise, it is a routine operation to remove any remaining products in a safe and permitted manner.  We appreciate the community’s patience as we move forward in this work.

WRC is working closely with suppliers and customers to minimize any interruption in delivery of fuels.

WRC stands ready to cooperate with incident investigators to fully understand the cause of the refinery upset and to prevent any similar type of incident from happening in the future.

Wyoming Refining Company Heater Incident

Situation Update 5:00 PM

Wyoming Refinery Company (WRC) experienced an operational upset about 10:37 PM the evening of February 12, 2025.  No one was injured, and refinery fence-line air monitoring indicates no safety or environmental concerns.

WRC remains intently focused on ensuring the health and safety of our employees and local community.  Minimizing impact to the public and environment guides everything we do.  We appreciate the coordination and cooperation with Weston County and Newcastle Police Department.

The refinery remains idle as refinery personnel investigate the incident and complete the safe shutdown of the process equipment.  Care is being taken to avoid any further freeze damage to equipment and observe safe working conditions.  Damage assessment activities will continue as will the ongoing removal of any residual products from other units and piping.

There may be noticeable flaring activities as residual products are safely removed from towers and piping.  While this can produce visible flame and noise, it is a routine operation to remove any remaining products in a safe and permitted manner.

WRC is working closely with suppliers and customers to minimize any interruption in delivery of fuels.

WRC stands ready to cooperate with incident investigators to fully understand the cause of the refinery upset and to prevent any similar type of incident from happening in the future.

Wyoming Refining Company Heater Incident

Update Friday February 14, 2025

 Wyoming Refinery Company (WRC) experienced an operational upset on the evening of February 12, 2025.  No one was injured, and refinery fence-line monitoring indicates no safety or environmental concerns.  The refinery will remain idled in the near term as refinery personnel investigate the incident and evaluate when to safely restart the facility.

Our top priority remains the health and safety of our employees and local community.

Situation Update 9:00 AM

The three workers that were medically evaluated early Thursday required no medical treatment or first aid beyond the initial evaluation.

WRC completed all regulatory notifications soon after the incident occurred and is working with the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality (WDEQ) both in response to the incident and in any following investigation.

The Newcastle Refinery remains idled in a safe condition as work continues to assess damage and keep the remaining refinery from further damage due to freezing temperatures.

No release of petroleum vapors or other harmful chemicals has been detected from the refinery.  There are no reported impacts to people or property beyond the refinery perimeter.

WRC is working closely with suppliers and customers to minimize any interruption in delivery of fuels.

 

Dallas Scholes, (281)814-6159, dscholes@parpacific.com

Wyoming Refinery Company (the “Company”) experienced an operational upset on the evening of February 12, 2025.  No one was injured, and refinery fence-line monitoring indicates no safety or environmental concerns.  The refinery will remain idled in the near term as refinery personnel investigate the incident and evaluate when to restart the facility.  Our top priority remains the health and safety of our employees and local community.

Wyoming Refining Company is wholly owned and operated by Par Pacific Holdings, Inc.

About Par Pacific

Par Pacific Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: PARR), headquartered in Houston, Texas, is a growing energy company providing both renewable and conventional fuels to the western United States. Par Pacific owns and operates 219,000 bpd of combined refining capacity across four locations in Hawaii, the Pacific Northwest and the Rockies, and an extensive energy infrastructure network, including 13 million barrels of storage, and marine, rail, rack, and pipeline assets. In addition, Par Pacific operates the Hele retail brand in Hawaii and the “nomnom” convenience store chain in the Pacific Northwest. Par Pacific also owns 46% of Laramie Energy, LLC, a natural gas production company with operations and assets concentrated in Western Colorado. More information is available at www.parpacific.com.

Contact:

Dallas Scholes
Director, Government and Public Affairs
(281) 814-6159
Dscholes@parpacific.com