Bloomfield Refinery to close; 100 workers laid off

At least 100 employees at the Bloomfield refinery will be laid off by mid-December after Western Refining, Inc. announced plans Monday to cut costs by transferring all Bloomfield operations to its Gallup facility. The El Paso, Texas-based company said the consolidation of its Four Corners refineries will save Western Refining at least $25 million each year. "The decision to idle the Bloomfield refinery does not come easily. Actions that negatively impact employees are always difficult," Western Refining CEO Paul Foster said. "Western appreciates the dedication of our employees and is committed to treating them fairly and with respect as we work through this transition." More than 120 people are employed at the Bloomfield refinery. Due to a shortage in affordable crude supplies in the region, Western Refining had cut collective production at the Bloomfield and Gallup refineries from 40,000 barrels daily to 25,000 barrels, according to the company. Transferring the Bloomfield refining operations to Gallup allows Western Refining to continue producing an average 25,000 barrels of oil per day while only paying operation costs at one refinery, the CEO said...read more