Coke piles inside the coke barns at the Big West of California refinery in Bakersfield, seen at night. Originally slated for closure, the plant was purchased by Big West/Flying J Corp., which will expand it. (Béatrice de Géa / LAT)
Crude oil storage tanks at the Big West of California Bakersfield Refinery. (Béatrice de Géa / LAT)
The Big West of California refinery in Bakersfield at night. (Béatrice de Géa / LAT)
An employee walks by coke piles inside the Big West of California refinery in Bakersfield. (Béatrice de Géa / LAT)
Heat exchangers at the Big West of California refinery in Bakersfield. (Béatrice de Géa / LAT)
Chief Oil Analyst Tom Kloza checks the opening of the fuel and oil markets for OPIS (Oil Price Information Services), in which he then generates a report for clients. (Tim Larsen / AP)
A man pushes his car up to the pumps at a Shell station on Pacific Coast Highay and Cherry Avenue in Long Beach. (Lori Shepler / LAT)
Coke drums in the coker area of the The Big West of California refinery in Bakersfield. (Béatrice de Géa / LAT)
British Petroleum moves crude oil from its refinery in Carson to this Vinvale Terminal in Southgate, where a worker disconnects fueling hose for gas hauling truck before it is sent to BPs Arco gas stations around the Southland. (Bob Chamberlin / LAT)
Oil from ships docking in Long Beach is pumped out with special heavy-duty hoses before being shipped to refineries. (Bob Chamberlin / LAT)
California Attorney General Bill Lockyer stands next to his hybrid Toyota Prius in front of the Justice Department Building in San Francisco. (Jakub Mosur / For The Times)
A customer leaves the Chevron gas station near Beach Boulevard in Anaheim in May. (Karen Tapia-Andersen / LAT)
Mike Madani owns a Shell station at a corner in Redondo Beach. Once there were rival gas outlets at all four corners at Artesia and Aviation Boulevards. His survived by purchasing his land, adding a car wash and convenience store. Gasoline sales are often a break-even proposition. (Myung J. Chun / LAT)
California Energy Commissioner James Boyd poses in a hallway of the California Energy Commission building in Sacramento. (Max Whittaker / For The Times)
A water supply tank at the Big West of California refinery in Bakersfield. (Béatrice de Géa / LAT)
