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Kristopher Gibson, a Somerset native, is plant manager at Continental Refining Company, formerly Somerset Refinery. Gibson, who has worked at the refinery since 1994, will lead the way as production gets under way again this summer. The refinery has been shut down for about two years. Photo by Bill Mardis
Most of the equipment at former Somerset Refinery is reportedly in good condition. Continental Refining Company, the new owner, says the refinery will begin production in early summer and reach full capacity by 2013. Photo by Bill Mardis
Kris Gibson, plant manager at Continental Refining Company, looks over the sprawling complex of tanks and distilling equipment that once was Somerset Refinery. The refinery is scheduled to reopen and begin operation in early summer. Photo by Bill Mardis

February 16, 2012

Somerset native Kris Gibson will lead Continental Refining production team

by Bill Mardis Commonwealth Journal The Commonwealth Journal Thu Feb 16, 2012, 10:22 AM EST

Somerset — The plant manager of Somerset Refinery, evolving into Continental Refining Company, is one who Pulaski countians would call “one of us.”

Kristopher Gibson, son of Doyle and Deidra Gibson, is a native of Somerset. So is his wife, the former Kristen Flynn. Both Gibson and his wife are graduates of Somerset High School. They have two little Pulaski countians with another on the way.

Kristopher –– everybody calls him Kris –– knows his way around Somerset Refinery. He started working at the refinery as “summer help” in 1994 while still in high school.

Gibson earned his way up through the ranks in the maintenance department; as process operator and then operations manager. In 2006, Gibson left Somerset to work for Marathon Oil in Catlettsburg. He returned to Somerset Refinery in 2008 as plant manager.

“It means a lot to me to be a factor in reestablishing this company,” said Gibson. He remembers the refinery when it was an economic engine in Somerset, Pulaski County and the region; when it was one of two oil refineries in Kentucky; when a job at Somerset Refinery was stable employment for a family man; when Somerset Refinery was a landmark, a place.

Gibson grieved as he watched the refinery’s decline; through several owners; through allegedly broken promises; through bankruptcy; through property auctions. The refinery was shut down for nearly two years.

On December 9, 2011, light was reached at the end of the tunnel. Continental Refining Company announced it has purchased Somerset Energy Refining, formerly Somerset Refinery. The new owner is Demetrios Haseotes, president, chief executive officer and chief operating officer of Continental Refining, a Somerset-based company.

Haseotes promises to revive the refinery. “What we are trying to do is reestablish the business plan, to establish a stable fuel plan,” said Gibson. “We’re looking at outside sources as well as reestablishing relations with regional producers of crude.” Producers in the region claim there were not paid by a former owner of the refinery and found other markets for their oil.

“We’re hoping to build trust where they (crude oil producers) will feel comfortable coming back to us,” said Gibson. Transportation costs of regionally produced crude would be greatly reduced by delivery to a Somerset market, Haseotes pointed out.

Gibson says Continential Refining Company will begin operation early this summer. It will increase productivity from the current “warm idle” status to 61 percent capacity by the end of this year and be operating at full capacity by mid 2013.

The company says all current positions will stay in place and 40 jobs will be added. An estimated 200 indirect jobs will result from the refinery’s operation.

Both Gibson and Haseotes say equipment at the former Somerset Refinery is in fairly good shape; that a previous owner made significant investments in the plant and repaired problem areas.

“We’ll start in phases, refining 2,000 barrels a day and ramp up from there,” said Gibson. “The plant’s capacity is 5,500 barrels a day.

Continental Refining Company will produce several products including 87-octane (regular) gasoline, kerosene, diesel and No. 4 and No. 6 (residual) heating oils. At full capacity, the refinery in a year can produce 23,000,000 gallons of gasoline, 6,000,000 gallons of kerosene, 21,000,000 gallons of diesel fuel and 30,000,000 gallons of heating oils, Gibson said.

Recalling that former Somerset Oil service stations, owned by the refinery, were auctioned by a previous owner, Gibson said the current owner at the onset is focusing more on the refinery. “If it makes sense in the future, we could reconsider service stations,” he noted.

Continental Refining Company will use natural gas from Somerset Gas Service to fire its process heaters. Haseotes said he is working with Somerset Mayor Eddie Girdler and city officials to become involved in Somerset’s evolving energy center for natural gas.

The new owner is in the process of selling the former office building facing Monticello Street. New offices are being created in the former Pennzoil building at 300 Refinery Road. The offices should be ready by mid-spring, Gibson said.

Meantime, excitement is in the air among the tanks and distilling equipment along Refinery Road. Gibson can feel it; he is confident Continental Refining Company will soon bask in the glow of integrity that once surrounded Somerset Refinery.

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Pulaski carries Girdler to win

In the weeks leading up to Tuesday’s primary election, it was impossible to miss the colorful signs dotting nearly every Pulaski roadway. The names in the race for the 15th State Senatorial District seat popped out: A.C. Donahue. Chris Girdler. Mark Polston.

Once citizens hit the ballots, however, the results mirrored the dimensions of the signs themselves: Chris Girdler stood the tallest.

Girdler, deputy district director for Congressman Harold “Hal” Rogers, ran away with the votes inside Pulaski County’s borders, earning 3,926 votes for 62.05 percent of the total number cast.

That number more than doubled the next highest vote-getter, businessman Mark Polston, who raked in 1,624 votes for 25.67 percent.

However, Polston — who owns Classic Carpet, a home-flooring business located just off the southern 914 bypass — can claim a moral victory ... three of them, in fact. In all three counties in the district other than Pulaski — those being Adair, Casey, and Russell Counties — Polston actually edged out Girdler.

In Adair, Polston beat Girdler 629 to 394. In Casey County, it was 538 to 417, and in Russell, it was 1,862 to 1,038.

Polston said he just “couldn’t pull it out with the numbers” and that “the machine worked for” Girdler in Pulaski County.

“I think that was their strategy — I think they had a Pulaski County strategy all along,” said Polston. “They played the political game well.”

Polston said the difference between his and Girdler’s campaigns was that “mine was a very, very grass roots campaign,” he said. “I did not have a political machine behind me. I understand how this process works, and in this instance, he prevailed.”

As for why Girdler didn’t take three of four counties, the winning candidate — since there are no Democrats in the race, winning the Republican primary was effectively a final victory for Girdler — said he didn’t have an answer for that.

However, “I believe things happen for a reason and I hope the long and strenuous campaign will only heighten my desire to move beyond the bitterness and partisanship of the recent past,” said Girdler.

“Regionalism is a goal of mine, and I look forward to helping all four counties,” he added, noting that he campaigned heavily in each of them.

Sen. Vernie McGaha, the long-time state senator whose seat the candidates were vying for, actually supported Polston after Liberty’s Todd Hoskins dropped out of the race earlier this month.

Donahue, a local attorney, got 556 votes in Pulaski County, 8.79 percent of the vote. He only received 145 votes in Russell County, 74 in Adair County, and 75 in Casey County, where hometown candidate Hoskins almost matched him with 71 votes despite no longer being officially in the race.

Polston said he’s “still digesting” what happened, and though “the process has been a very good experience for me,” he wouldn’t commit to running again in the future. “I wouldn’t shut the door to anything, but I’m not opening any doors either.”

Still, “I think I got a lot of people involved in the process that had not been involved before and would not have been otherwise,” he said. “A lot of people got out and worked really hard, got motivated to talk to friends and neighbors. I think a lot of people became involved through this campaign that are going to be involved for a long time.”

Girdler stressed his “positive message” and said that Rogers is a “mentor and good friend” that he would turn to for advice in dealing with a frequently combative legislative body in Frankfort, one for which Girdler hopes to help change the culture.

Girdler said that he was “confident and optimistic” during the day Tuesday because he’d “worked extremely hard.” Nevertheless, the realization that he’d won gave him “chill bumps,” he said.

“I’m absolutely honored,” said Girdler. “The position of state senator is more than an honor, more than an office. It’s a charge to keep, and I will give it my all.

“I pledge to be the people’s state senator,” he added. “I look forward to working with everyone to move this region forward.”

May 22, 2012 1 Photo
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