United Refining Company

The United Refining Company (URC) is an oil company in Warren, Pennsylvania. The company operates an oil refinery in Warren that can process 70,000 barrels of oil into gasoline, diesel fuel and other petroleum distillates per day. It distributes gasoline under the Kwik Fill and Keystone brands. In early 2019, the American Automobile Association noted that Warren had the most expensive gasoline in Western Pennsylvania, despite the presence of the refinery in the town and a gasoline station just outside the refinery, the root cause of which remains undetermined.
History.
The United Refining Company was founded in 1902 by Harry Logan, Sr. His son, Harry Logan, Jr., succeeded his father as president and chairman of United Refining in 1957. In 1981, John Catsimatidis acquired United Refining as a subsidiary of his Red Apple Group.
As of 1935, the company had a pair of marketing subsidiaries, Emblem Oil Company and Red Star Lubrication Service Incorporated, which distributed Keystone Gasoline and Emblem Motor Oils, respectively.
The refinery was expanded from to in 1982. It was expanded again to have a processing capacity of in 2007. The employees of the Warren refinery are represented by the International Union of Operating Engineers.
Citgo.
URC acquired the rights to use the name Citgo in 2002 when it bought a local gas station and convenience store chain called Country Fair, Inc. in Erie, Pennsylvania which included a license agreement to use "Citgo's brands, trademarks and other forms of identification."
After Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez's speech to the United Nations, there were calls to boycott the Citgo brand. In response, URC began phasing out that brandname, and has been emphasizing that its crude oil supply comes from North America. URC also continued rebranding its product under the Kwik Fill and other local names.
Alternate energy.
United Refining blends ethanol with its gasoline in accordance with the Energy Policy Act.
Conflicting Interests.
Since United Refining Company supplies the majority of gas stations in Warren County with fuel, they essentially set the price point for every station in the area. Despite the area being economically depressed, with a median household income of approx. $32,000 per year and 14% of the population at or below the poverty line, gasoline prices remain among the highest in the entire state. Gasoline sold in Erie, although being trucked 3-5 times further, is regularly sold at $0.10 to $0.15 cheaper per gallon than within Warren County. Additionally, while PA has an extreme gas tax of $0.50 per gallon, the same gas purchased in Ohio is typically 60-70 cents cheaper than most Country Fairs and Kwik Fills in NW PA. This indicates that United may be pocketing about $0.47 per gallon, just because they control the pricing. There seems to be no one in a position of authority willing to talk about this. This raises concerns about their willingness to profit at the expense of the greater community.
Convenience stores.
United Refining Company distributes its oil through its line of owned-and-operated convenience stores, totaling approximately 375 throughout upstate New York, Pennsylvania, and Northeast Ohio. The stores operate under the names Kwik Fill, Red Apple, or Country Fair. Many Kwik Fill locations, like the one in the photo above, are full-service, meaning they pump your gas for you.