A relocation is not set in stone yet, but there are talks about a refinery moving to Rusk County. This will bring in new jobs to the area. Premier Refinery is a dormant facility, but if the relocation is given the go ahead it will spark a resurgence of the refinery and a few hundred jobs. The vice president of the company stated that the project would move processing equipment from Longview to Rusk County in Texas. The facility will be upgraded and then restarted. The Longview facility will be able to produce 550,000 barrels.
The proposal of the move is based on economic development. The vice president stated at least 300 to 400 jobs will be available in the area. It means that the company will pull from job markets across the USA and other places to find qualified individuals to work at the refinery. Basically, it could spark a major relocation for employees and the company.
Many are for the move, especially because it would bring back more refining to the USA. The intention is to make Rusk County a showboat facility. It will need to be environmentally friendly, so a bit of work will be needed.
The fact is there are plenty of pipelines that can connect to the refinery, making it an important crude oil facility for the US. This could help lower prices and have a huge impact on the economy as a whole, not just for the county but for the country as well.
Jon Huser
