Holly Energy Partners	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2015
Holly Energy Partners [Abstract]
Holly Energy Partners	HEP, a consolidated VIE, is a publicly held master limited partnership that was formed to acquire, own and operate the petroleum product and crude oil pipeline and terminal, tankage and loading rack facilities that support our refining and marketing operations in the Mid-Continent, Southwest and Rocky Mountain regions of the United States. HEP also owns and operates refined product pipelines and terminals, located primarily in Texas, that serve Alon's refinery in Big Spring, Texas. As of September 30, 2015, we owned a 39% interest in HEP, including the 2% general partner interest. As the general partner of HEP, we have the sole ability to direct the activities that most significantly impact HEP's financial performance, and therefore we consolidate HEP. See Note 16 for supplemental guarantor/non-guarantor financial information, including HEP balances included in these consolidated financial statements. HEP has two primary customers (including us) and generates revenues by charging tariffs for transporting petroleum products and crude oil though its pipelines, by charging fees for terminalling refined products and other hydrocarbons, and storing and providing other services at its storage tanks and terminals. Under our long-term transportation agreements with HEP (discussed further below), we accounted for 82% of HEP’s total revenues for the nine months ended September 30, 2015. We do not provide financial or equity support through any liquidity arrangements and / or debt guarantees to HEP. HEP has outstanding debt under a senior secured revolving credit agreement and its senior notes. With the exception of the assets of HEP Logistics Holdings, L.P., one of our wholly-owned subsidiaries and HEP’s general partner, HEP’s creditors have no recourse to our other assets. Any recourse to HEP’s general partner would be limited to the extent of HEP Logistics Holdings, L.P.’s assets, which other than its investment in HEP are not significant. Furthermore, our creditors have no recourse to the assets of HEP and its consolidated subsidiaries. See Note 9 for a description of HEP’s debt obligations. HEP has risk associated with its operations. If a major customer of HEP were to terminate its contracts or fail to meet desired shipping or throughput levels for an extended period of time, revenue would be reduced and HEP could suffer substantial losses to the extent that a new customer is not found. In the event that HEP incurs a loss, our operating results will reflect HEP’s loss, net of intercompany eliminations, to the extent of our ownership interest in HEP at that point in time. Frontier Pipeline Transaction On August 31, 2015, HEP purchased a 50% interest in Frontier Pipeline Company, owner of the Frontier Pipeline, from an affiliate of Enbridge, Inc. for $54.6 million. Frontier Pipeline will continue to be operated by an affiliate of Plains All American Pipeline, L.P., which owns the remaining 50% interest. The 289-mile crude oil pipeline, which runs from Casper, Wyoming to Frontier Station, Utah, has a 72,000 barrels per day capacity. The Frontier Pipeline supplies Canadian and Rocky Mountain crudes to Salt Lake City area refiners through a connection to the SLC Pipeline. El Dorado Asset Transaction On November 1, 2015, HEP acquired from us newly constructed naphtha fractionation and hydrogen generation units at our El Dorado Refinery for cash consideration of $62.0 million. In connection with this transaction, we entered into 15-year tolling agreements containing minimum quarterly throughput commitments that provide minimum annualized payments to HEP of $15.3 million. Transportation Agreements HEP serves our refineries under long-term pipeline and terminal, tankage and throughput agreements expiring from 2019 through 2026. Under these agreements, we pay HEP fees to transport, store and throughput volumes of refined product and crude oil on HEP's pipeline and terminal, tankage and loading rack facilities that result in minimum annual payments to HEP including UNEV (a consolidated subsidiary of HEP). Under these agreements, the agreed upon tariff rates are subject to annual tariff rate adjustments on July 1 at a rate based upon the percentage change in Producer Price Index or Federal Energy Regulatory Commission index. As of September 30, 2015, these agreements result in minimum annualized payments to HEP of $236.6 million. Our transactions with HEP including fees paid under our transportation agreements with HEP and UNEV are eliminated and have no impact on our consolidated financial statements.

HEP, a consolidated VIE, is a publicly held master limited partnership that was formed to acquire, own and operate the petroleum product and crude oil pipeline and terminal, tankage and loading rack facilities that support our refining and marketing operations in the Mid-Continent, Southwest and Rocky Mountain regions of the United States. HEP also owns and operates refined product pipelines and terminals, located primarily in Texas, that serve Alon's refinery in Big Spring, Texas.

As of September 30, 2015, we owned a 39% interest in HEP, including the 2% general partner interest. As the general partner of HEP, we have the sole ability to direct the activities that most significantly impact HEP's financial performance, and therefore we consolidate HEP. See Note 16 for supplemental guarantor/non-guarantor financial information, including HEP balances included in these consolidated financial statements.

HEP has two primary customers (including us) and generates revenues by charging tariffs for transporting petroleum products and crude oil though its pipelines, by charging fees for terminalling refined products and other hydrocarbons, and storing and providing other services at its storage tanks and terminals. Under our long-term transportation agreements with HEP (discussed further below), we accounted for 82% of HEP’s total revenues for the nine months ended September 30, 2015. We do not provide financial or equity support through any liquidity arrangements and / or debt guarantees to HEP.

HEP has outstanding debt under a senior secured revolving credit agreement and its senior notes. With the exception of the assets of HEP Logistics Holdings, L.P., one of our wholly-owned subsidiaries and HEP’s general partner, HEP’s creditors have no recourse to our other assets. Any recourse to HEP’s general partner would be limited to the extent of HEP Logistics Holdings, L.P.’s assets, which other than its investment in HEP are not significant. Furthermore, our creditors have no recourse to the assets of HEP and its consolidated subsidiaries. See Note 9 for a description of HEP’s debt obligations.

HEP has risk associated with its operations. If a major customer of HEP were to terminate its contracts or fail to meet desired shipping or throughput levels for an extended period of time, revenue would be reduced and HEP could suffer substantial losses to the extent that a new customer is not found. In the event that HEP incurs a loss, our operating results will reflect HEP’s loss, net of intercompany eliminations, to the extent of our ownership interest in HEP at that point in time.

Frontier Pipeline Transaction

On August 31, 2015, HEP purchased a 50% interest in Frontier Pipeline Company, owner of the Frontier Pipeline, from an affiliate of Enbridge, Inc. for $54.6 million. Frontier Pipeline will continue to be operated by an affiliate of Plains All American Pipeline, L.P., which owns the remaining 50% interest. The 289-mile crude oil pipeline, which runs from Casper, Wyoming to Frontier Station, Utah, has a 72,000 barrels per day capacity. The Frontier Pipeline supplies Canadian and Rocky Mountain crudes to Salt Lake City area refiners through a connection to the SLC Pipeline.

El Dorado Asset Transaction

On November 1, 2015, HEP acquired from us newly constructed naphtha fractionation and hydrogen generation units at our El Dorado Refinery for cash consideration of $62.0 million. In connection with this transaction, we entered into 15-year tolling agreements containing minimum quarterly throughput commitments that provide minimum annualized payments to HEP of $15.3 million.

Transportation Agreements

HEP serves our refineries under long-term pipeline and terminal, tankage and throughput agreements expiring from 2019 through 2026. Under these agreements, we pay HEP fees to transport, store and throughput volumes of refined product and crude oil on HEP's pipeline and terminal, tankage and loading rack facilities that result in minimum annual payments to HEP including UNEV (a consolidated subsidiary of HEP). Under these agreements, the agreed upon tariff rates are subject to annual tariff rate adjustments on July 1 at a rate based upon the percentage change in Producer Price Index or Federal Energy Regulatory Commission index. As of September 30, 2015, these agreements result in minimum annualized payments to HEP of $236.6 million.

Our transactions with HEP including fees paid under our transportation agreements with HEP and UNEV are eliminated and have no impact on our consolidated financial statements.