Tosco Unveils West Coast Refinery Overhaul

Tosco Corp. said it will invest $375 million during the next five years in three of its West Coast refineries to produce more and cleaner fuels. The investment will allow Tosco to convert gasoline production at the refineries to MTBE-free fuel, as ordered by Gov. Gray Davis. The overhaul also will allow the refineries to make ultra-low-sulfur diesel before the 2007 deadline that the Environmental Protection Agency is expected to mandate. Tosco will spend $150 million at its refineries in Los Angeles and near San Francisco, and about $220 million at its refinery in Bellingham, Wash. Tosco, based in Old Greenwich, Conn., operates 6,500 gasoline stations under the 76, BP, Exxon and Mobil brands.