8-K

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                                  UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549




                                    Form 8-K



                                 CURRENT REPORT
     Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934



        Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): April 12, 2004



                          Tesoro Petroleum Corporation
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)



          Delaware                      1-3473                   95-0862768
(State or other jurisdiction   (Commission File Number)        (IRS Employer
      of incorporation)                                      Identification No.)




         300 Concord Plaza Drive                                78216-6999
           San Antonio, Texas                                   (Zip Code)
(Address of principal executive offices)




       Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (210) 828-8484

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Item 7.   Financial Statements, Pro Forma Financial Information and Exhibits

         (a)      Financial statements of businesses acquired.

                  Not applicable.

         (b)      Pro forma financial information.

                  Not applicable.

         (c)      Exhibits.

99.1     Press Release issued on April 12, 2004 by Tesoro Petroleum Corporation


Item  12.  Results of Operations and Financial Condition

On April 12, 2004 Tesoro issued a press release (the "Press Release") announcing
certain projected  financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2004.
The Press  Release is filed as Exhibit 99.1 to this  Current  Report on Form 8-K
and is incorporated herein by reference.

The information in this report is being furnished,  not filed,  pursuant to Item
12 of Form 8-K. Accordingly,  the information in Item 12 of this report will not
be  incorporated  by  reference  into any  registration  statement  filed by the
Company  under the  Securities  Act of 1933,  as  amended,  unless  specifically
identified therein as being incorporated therein by reference.





                                   SIGNATURES






         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended,  the  Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf
by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.


Date:    April 12, 2004


                                    TESORO PETROLEUM CORPORATION




                                    By:          /s/ Gregory A. Wright
                                       -----------------------------------------
                                                 Gregory A. Wright
                                             Executive Vice President
                                            and Chief Financial Officer



                                Index to Exhibits


Exhibit Number                   Description


  99.1           Press Release issued on April 12, 2004 by Tesoro Petroleum
                 Corporation

EX-99.1

                                                                    Exhibit 99.1

                Tesoro Provides First Quarter Earnings Guidance

    SAN ANTONIO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 12, 2004--Tesoro Petroleum
Corporation (NYSE:TSO) announced today that it expects to earn around
$0.70 per share for the first quarter. Stronger refining margins,
higher throughput volumes, and lower interest expense are the primary
reasons for the expected earnings improvement compared to the first
quarter of last year.
    Included in the first quarter's expectation is an after-tax charge
of $0.02 per share related to the successful completion of the
company's consent solicitation relating to its 8% Senior Secured Notes
due 2008. The amendment allows Tesoro to exempt all repayments that
may be made with respect to its $300 million 9% Senior Subordinated
Notes due 2008 from the restrictions in the indenture and credit and
guaranty agreement.
    Tesoro Petroleum Corporation, a Fortune 500 Company, is an
independent refiner and marketer of petroleum products. Tesoro
operates six refineries in the western United States with a combined
capacity of nearly 560,000 barrels per day. Tesoro's retail-marketing
system includes approximately 560 branded retail stations, of which
over 200 are company operated under the Tesoro(R) and Mirastar(R)
brands.

    This news release contains certain statements that are
"forward-looking" statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the
Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act
of 1934. These forward-looking statements contain expectations with
respect to the company's first quarter earnings, refining margins,
throughput volumes, interest expense, and charges related to the
Company's consent solicitation regarding its 8% Senior Secured Notes
due 2008. Factors which may cause actual results to differ from those
forward-looking statements include: changes in general economic
conditions, worldwide political developments, the timing and extent of
changes in demand for refined products, availability and cost of crude
oil, other feedstocks, or of refined products, the price differentials
between light and heavy crude oils and light and heavy refined
products, throughput and yield levels, disruptions due to equipment
interruptions or failure at Company or third-party facilities, and
other factors beyond the Company's control. For more information
concerning factors that could cause such a difference, see the
company's annual report on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form
10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The company
undertakes no obligation to publicly release the result of any
revisions to any such forward-looking statements that may be made to
reflect events or circumstances that occur, or which the Company
becomes aware of, after the date hereof.

    CONTACT: Tesoro Petroleum Corporation, San Antonio
             Investors:
             John Robertson, 210-283-2687
             or
             Media:
             Tara Ford Payne, 210-283-2676