Description of Business and Summary of Significatn Accounting Policies (Policies)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2013

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

Description of Business

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 merged with Frontier Oil Corporation (“Frontier”) on July 1, 2011. Concurrent with the merger, we changed our name from Holly Corporation (“Holly”) to HollyFrontier and changed the ticker symbol for our common stock traded on the New York Stock Exchange to “HFC” (see Note 2). Accordingly, these financial statements include Frontier, its consolidated subsidiaries and the operations of the merged Frontier businesses effective July 1, 2011, but not prior to this date.

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. As of December 31, 2013, we:

• 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 NK Asphalt Partners (“NK Asphalt”) which operates various asphalt terminals in Arizona and New Mexico;

• owned a 50% interest in Sabine Biofuels II, LLC (“Sabine Biofuels”), a biodiesel production facility located in Port Arthur, Texas; and

• owned a 39% interest in HEP, a consolidated variable interest entity (“VIE”), which includes our 2% general partner interest. HEP owns and operates logistic assets consisting of petroleum product and crude oil pipelines and terminal, tankage and loading rack facilities that principally support our refining and marketing operations in the Mid-Continent, Southwest and Rocky Mountain regions of the United States and Alon USA, Inc.'s (“Alon”) refinery in Big Spring, Texas. Additionally, HEP owns a 75% interest in UNEV Pipeline, LLC (“UNEV”), which owns a 12-inch refined products pipeline from Salt Lake City, Utah to Las Vegas, Nevada, together with terminal facilities in the Cedar City, Utah and North Las Vegas areas (the “UNEV Pipeline”) and a 25% interest in SLC Pipeline LLC (the “SLC Pipeline”), which owns a 95-mile intrastate pipeline system that serves refineries in the Salt Lake City area.

Principles of Consolidation

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 Entity

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 we consolidate HEP.

Use of Estimates

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

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.

Marketable Securities

Marketable Securities: We consider all marketable debt securities with maturities greater than three months at the date of purchase to be marketable securities. Our marketable securities consist of certificates of deposit, commercial paper, corporate debt securities and government and municipal debt securities with the maximum maturity or put date of any individual issue generally not more than two years, while the maximum duration of the portfolio of investments is not greater than one year. These instruments are classified as available-for-sale, and as a result, are reported at fair value. Unrealized gains and losses, net of related income taxes, are reported as a component of accumulated other comprehensive income.

Balance Sheet Offsetting

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 because it more appropriately presents our economic resources (accounts receivable) and claims against us (accounts payable) and the future cash flows associated with such assets and liabilities.

Accounts Receivable

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 $2.4 million and $2.5 million at December 31, 2013 and 2012, respectively.

Accounts receivable attributable to crude oil resales generally represent the sell side of excess crude oil sales 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: Inventories are stated at the lower of cost, using the last-in, first-out (“LIFO”) method for crude oil unfinished and finished refined products and the average cost method for materials and supplies, 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 estimated selling prices. 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.

Derivative Instruments

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.

Long-lived assets

Long-lived assets: We calculate depreciation and amortization based on estimated useful lives and salvage values of our assets. We evaluate long-lived assets for potential 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, if any, to be recorded is equal to the amount by which a long-lived asset's carrying value exceeds its fair value, which is generally determined under an income approach using the forecasted cash flows associated with the underlying asset. Estimates of future cash flows require subjective assumptions with regard to future operating results and actual results could differ from those estimates. No impairments of long-lived assets were recorded during the years ended December 31, 2013, 2012 and 2011.

Asset Retirement Obligations

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.

Our asset retirement obligations were $19.1 million and $18.1 million at December 31, 2013 and 2012, respectively, which are included in “Other long-term liabilities” in our consolidated balance sheets. Accretion expense was insignificant for the years ended December 31, 2013, 2012 and 2011.

Intangibles and Goodwill

Intangibles and Goodwill: Intangible assets are assets (other than financial assets) that lack physical substance. Goodwill represents the excess of the cost of an acquired entity over the fair value of the assets acquired less liabilities assumed. Goodwill acquired in a business combination and intangible assets with indefinite useful lives are not amortized while, intangible assets with finite useful lives are amortizedon a straight-line basis. Goodwill and intangible assets not subject to amortization are tested for impairment annually or more frequently if events or changes in circumstances indicate the asset might be impaired. Our analysis entails a comparison of the estimated fair value of these assets that are derived using a combination of both income (discounted future expected net cash flows) and comparable market approaches against their respective carrying values. Estimates of future cash flows and fair value of assets require subjective assumptions with regard to future operating results and actual results could differ from those estimates.

In addition to goodwill, our consolidated HEP assets include a third-party transportation agreement that currently generates minimum annual cash inflows of $24.7 million and has an expected remaining term through 2035. The transportation agreement is being amortized on a straight-line basis through 2035 that results in annual amortization expense of $2.0 million. The balance of this transportation agreement was $42.5 million and $44.5 million at December 31, 2013 and 2012, respectively, and is presented net of accumulated amortization of $17.7 million and $15.7 million, respectively, in “Intangibles and other” in our consolidated balance sheets. There were no impairments of intangible assets or goodwill during the years ended December 31, 2013, 2012 and 2011.

Investments in Joint Ventures

Investments in Joint Ventures: We consolidate the financial and operating results of joint ventures in which we have an ownership interest of greater than 50% and use the equity method of accounting for investments in which we have a 50% or less ownership interest. Under the equity method of accounting, 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 25% joint venture interest in the SLC Pipeline that is accounted for using the equity method of accounting. As of December 31, 2013, HEP's underlying equity in the SLC Pipeline was $59.6 million compared to its recorded investment balance of $24.7 million, a difference of $34.9 million. This is attributable to the difference between HEP's contributed capital and its allocated equity at formation of the SLC Pipeline. This difference is being amortized as an adjustment to HEP's pro-rata share of earnings.

Revenue Recognition

Revenue Recognition: Refined product sales and related cost of sales are recognized when products are shipped and title has passed to customers. HEP recognizes pipeline transportation revenues as products are shipped through its pipelines. 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 in cost of products sold.

Depreciation

Depreciation: Depreciation is provided by the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets, primarily 20 to 25 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.

Cost Classifications

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 carryover cost. Operating expenses include direct costs of labor, maintenance materials and services, utilities, marketing expense and other direct operating costs. General and administrative expenses include compensation, professional services and other support costs.

Deferred Maintenance 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.

Environmental Costs

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. 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 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

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.

Income Taxes

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 current and accumulated 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.