Suncor Energy (U.S.A.) Inc. owns and operates the Commerce City Refinery. The refinery is comprised of three plants from two refineries, which Suncor acquired in 2003 and 2005. This is the only facility of its kind in Colorado and the largest in the Rocky Mountain Region, processing approximately 103,000 barrels per day which in turn provides fuel and petroleum products for Coloradans.
Our operations, products, workforce, and community initiatives are local. We purchase crude from the Denver-Julesburg Basin, process it in Commerce City, and sell nearly 95% of our products – including gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, and paving asphalt – within Colorado.
We are Colorado’s primary producer of paving-grade asphalt for roads and a major supplier of fuel to the state’s Western Slope via rail and truck. Our refinery is also a key supplier to the Denver International Airport, providing about a third of its jet fuel.
Refinery operations
The Commerce City Refinery operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Flaring, steam venting, and fire training are part of normal, day-to-day operations as well as maintenance activities.
Flaring
The flames that are sometimes visible at the top of the refinery’s pipe stacks are an important, safe, and regulated part of the refining process. Simply put, flaring relieves pressure.
Flaring occurs when pressure from the refinery’s operations builds up and needs to be released, including during weather-related events, maintenance, or operational changes. There are also relief valves throughout the refinery that open and vent into the flare system if the pressure becomes too high to ensure that system safety is maintained.
