Co. may see new oil distillery

A crude oil upgrade and storage tank facility is in the planning phases at the Sweetwater County Planning and Zoning Office.

The facility, which is proposed by Rock Springs Energy Group, LLC., aims to utilize land near Reliance and adjacent to the Regency of Wyoming Mobile Home Park owned by Dowell Schlumberger and Dow Chemical Company. The facility will take crude oil and refine it into paraffin wax, marine diesel and paint solvents.

According to information about the facility on file at the Sweetwater County Courthouse, the company aims to process 5,000 barrels of oil from Wyoming, Colorado and Utah. The location was chosen due to its proximity to Interstate 80 and Union Pacific railroad. Company information also identifies Salt Lake City as a traditional market for crude oil products.

Commissioner John Kolb, speaking during Tuesday’s commissioner meeting, said there is some concern with the facility’s location near the mobile home park. The facility would utilize the maximum, 400-foot setback from adjacent roads. The lot size will be approximately 37.53 acres on land zoned for heavy industrial use.

A similar proposal was made in Evanston earlier this year by a company named Evanston Energy Group that ultimately died before the Evanston City Council.

Wayne Heftye, the developer for the Rock Springs Energy Partners, said the city’s planning and zoning board approved their facility, but claimed the Evanston City Council decided not to lease the land the company wanted to utilize, opting to try selling it to them instead. The deal fell through and the company found Rock Springs to be a better location for their operation. Heftye said the facility will distill crude oil, using a process that won’t disturb nearby residences or produce a smell. He said 65-70 percent of the product coming from the distillery will be wax. Heftye expects 16 jobs to be created once the distillery starts operations, with a maximum of 32 positions once it’s complete.

Heftye said construction, supposing everything goes in their favor, would start in May and finish in June.

A public hearing will be hosted during the Planning and Zoning Commission’s meeting Nov. 10 at 10 a.m. while a second public hearing will take place before the county commissioners Nov. 17 at 1:30 p.m.