Americans consume more than a billion gallons of petroleum per day. We use gasoline to drive cars, diesel fuel to power trucks, heating oil to warm our homes and businesses, and jet fuel to fly commercial and military airplanes. Petroleum is also a component of a host of other products, such as plastics, medicine and food items. The bottom line is petroleum plays a fundamental role in our everyday lives, and is a major driving force behind our economy and our way of life.

As the population increases in Southern Nevada and Southern Utah, two of the fastest growing areas in the country, so does the area’s demand for gasoline and diesel. To bring supply to these fast-growing communities, Holly Corporation, a Texas-based independent petroleum refiner and marketer, and Utah-based Sinclair Transportation Company, are jointly building the UNEV Pipeline.

UNEV is a 400-mile, 12-inch buried, common carrier products pipeline that will originate near the refineries in North Salt Lake City and ship product from them to a distribution terminal in Iron County, Utah, and a terminal in North Las Vegas. The Pipeline will initially have the capacity to carry approximately 62,000 barrels per day of petroleum products but will have the capacity to run 118,000 barrels per day through it.

Holly Corporation will own 75 percent interest and Sinclair will own 25 percent interest in the project. As the majority shareholder, Holly is leading the construction process of the project and will be charged with its oversight once it is in operation.

The Final Environmental Impact Study has been posted on the Federal Register. Once the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, the lead agency on the project, issues its Record of Decision, construction of the pipeline will begin. The plan is to begin construction of the pipeline in June of 2010 and to have it completely built and operational by early 2011.