Description of Business and Presentation of Financial Statements (Policy)

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2016

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

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 $2.3 million at both March 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015.

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. 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.

Goodwill

Goodwill: We have goodwill that primarily arose from our merger with Frontier Oil Corporation on July 1, 2011. Goodwill represents the excess of the cost of an acquired entity over the fair value of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed. Goodwill is not subject to amortization and is tested annually or more frequently if events or circumstances indicate the possibility of impairment. As of March 31, 2016, there have been no impairments to goodwill.

Historically, the refining industry has experienced significant fluctuations in operating results over an extended business cycle including changes in prices of crude oil and refined products, changes in operating costs including natural gas and higher costs of complying with government regulations. It is possible that the goodwill related to our Cheyenne Refinery will be determined to be impaired at some point in the future. A prolonged, moderate decrease in operating margins could potentially result in impairment to goodwill allocated to our Cheyenne reporting unit. Such impairment charges could be material.

Inventory Repurchase Obligations:We periodically enter into same-party sell / buy transactions, whereby we sell certain refined product inventory and subsequently repurchase the inventory in order to facilitate delivery to certain locations. Such sell / buy transactions are accounted as inventory repurchase obligations under which proceeds received under the initial sell is recognized as an inventory repurchase obligation that is subsequently reversed when the inventory is repurchased. For the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015, we received proceeds of $14.3 million and $30.2 million, respectively, and repaid $13.6 million and $22.8 million, respectively, under these sell / buy transactions.

New Accounting Pronouncements

New Accounting Pronouncements

Leases

In February 2016, Accounting Standard Update (“ASU”) 2016-02, “Leases” was issued requiring leases to be measured and recognized as a lease liability, with a corresponding right-of-use asset on the balance sheet. This standard has an effective date of January 1, 2019, and we are evaluating the impact of this standard.

Consolidation

In February 2015, ASU 2015-02, “Consolidation” was issued to improve consolidation guidance for certain legal entities. It modifies the evaluation of whether limited partnerships and similar legal entities are VIEs or voting interest entities, eliminates the presumption that a general partner should consolidate a limited partnership, affects the consolidation analysis of reporting entities involved with VIEs, particularly those that have fee arrangements and related party provisions and provides a scope exception from consolidation guidance for certain reporting entities that comply with or operate in accordance with requirements that are similar to those included in Rule 2a-7 of the Investment Company Act of 1940 for registered money market funds. We adopted this standard effective January 1, 2016, which did not affect our financial position or results of operations.

Revenue Recognition

In May 2014, ASU 2014-09, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers” was issued requiring revenue to be recognized when promised goods or services are transferred to customers in an amount that reflects the expected consideration for these goods or services. This standard has an effective date of January 1, 2018, and we are evaluating the impact of this standard.