Loading...
Loading...
Risk-factor words are +330.0% above peer average (2,223 vs 517 across 138 peers).
Chat is set up on each filing report page.
Ask about this filing, its industry, or sector trends.
AI responses are generated from filing and peer context and may contain errors.
Item 1A. Risk Factors
There ha following risk factors, certain of which were previously disclosed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K, have been no mincluded to reflect updaterial changes from thes based on recent developments. These risk factors should be read in conjunction with risk factors described in Part I Item 1A. Risk Factors of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, filed with the SEC on February 14, 2025, and in Part II Item 1A. Risk Factors of our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2025, filed with the SEC on May 8, 2025.
Our investment in the Burnaby Refinery is subject to operational risks, including commodity price and pricing pressure and environment, health and safety hazards. If any of the operational risks materialize our financial condition or results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.
Following the Parkland Acquisition, we will own and operate a refinery located in Burnaby, British Columbia (the Burnaby Refinery), which produces and supplies fuel within the Lower Mainland in Canada.
Key operational risks at the Burnaby Refinery include: supply disruptions of crude oil and bio-feedstocks, product offtake contract issues or interruptions, operational availability, labor and material shortages, compliance with regulatory requirements and local community opposition. Major accidents could cause significant damage and may result in operational interruptions, loss of licenses, fines, reputational damage, injuries or fatalities. Large amounts of power, heat by way of natural gas and large volumes of water are used to refine crude oil, the supply of which is not in our control, and even a temporary interruption of power, natural gas or water could adversely affect continuous operations. Unanticipated costs and delays during maintenance may negatively impact our operational results. Scheduled and unscheduled maintenance and repairs at the Burnaby Refinery may reduce revenue and increase our operating costs, impacting our financial and operational results.
Additionally, we contract with third parties for the supply of crude oil and other feedstock to the Burnaby Refinery. Crude oil sourced by the Burnaby Refinery is delivered from Alberta by the Trans Mountain Pipeline (TMPL). Interruptions or apportionment on the TMPLs pipeline system can result in us temporarily ceasing or decreasing processing operations at the Burnaby Refinery and may materially affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. The Burnaby Refinery could see variability in its crude deliveries as the capacity on the pipeline fluctuates from time to time, which can impact committed as well as uncommitted linespace, based on operating conditions and planned and/or unplanned maintenance. In addition to the TMPL line capacity, extreme or unexpected weather events may affect the operation of the TMPL. Significant operational delays, changes in tariffs and unanticipated costs could adversely impact the refinery.
Refining gross margins are primarily driven by commodity prices and are a function of the difference between the costs of feedstock (primarily crude oil) and the market prices for the marketing of finished products (such as gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, lubricants, fuel oil and fuel and lubricant additives). Prices for commodities are determined by global and regional marketplaces and are influenced by many factors, including supply and demand balances, inventory levels, industry refinery operations, import and export balances, currency fluctuations, seasonal demand, political climate, disruptions at the refinery resulting from unplanned outages due to severe weather, fires or other operational events and plant capacity utilization. Sustained low refining margins may have an adverse effect on our revenue, profitability and ability to service debt and pay distributions.
The Burnaby Refinery faces hazards related to hydrocarbon supply and processing, including, but not limited to, fires, explosions, railcar or marine vessel incidents, oil spills, migration of harmful substances, corrosion, vandalism, terrorism and other accidents that may occur at or during transport to or from sites. The consequences of an accidental spill or release at or near any marine terminal used in connection with our operations could be significant, given the complexities of addressing releases occurring in marine environments or along populated coastlines. Such incidents could result in significant disruptions to offshore shipping activities and impede our ability to operate in any affected areas.
These hazards may interrupt operations, cause injuries or fatalities, cause loss of or damage to equipment, property, information technology or control systems and data, or result in environmental damage that may include pollution of water, land or air. The consequences could expose us to business interruptions, potential liabilities, modifications to or revocation of existing regulatory approvals, fines and other environmental damages, or reputational impacts.
37
We face a variety of risks related to our entry into the refinery business following the completion of the Parkland Acquisition.
Entry into a new line of business may also subject us to new laws and regulations with which we are not familiar and may lead to increased litigation and regulatory risk. Further, our management team have not engaged in the refinery operations business in recent years, and our lack of recent experience may result in delays or further complications to our new business and increases our dependence upon former Parkland employees that have experience in the field. If we are unable to successfully implement the acquired business of Parkland, in particular, the Burnaby Refinery, our revenue and profitability may not grow as we expect, our competitiveness may be materially and adversely affected and our reputation and business may be harmed.
Our operations are subject to federal, state and local laws and regulations, in the U.S., in Canada, in Mexico, in the Greater Caribbean and in Europe, relating to the environment, health, safety and security that require us to make substantial expenditures.
Our operations are subject to increasingly stringent international, federal, state and local environmental, health, safety and security laws and regulations, including those relating to: terminals and underground storage tanks; the release or discharge of regulated materials into the air, water and soil; the generation, storage, handling, use, transportation and disposal of hazardous materials; the exposure of persons to regulated materials; and the health and safety of our employees. A violation of, liability under, or noncompliance with these laws and regulations, or any future environmental law or regulation, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash available for distribution to our unitholders.
Regulations under the Clean Water Act, the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA 90) and state laws impose regulatory burdens on terminal operations. Spill prevention control and countermeasure requirements of federal and state laws require containment to mitigate or prevent contamination of waters in the event of a refined product overflow, rupture or leak from above-ground pipelines and storage tanks. The Clean Water Act also requires us to maintain spill prevention control and countermeasure plans at our terminal facilities with above-ground storage tanks and pipelines. In addition, OPA 90 requires that most fuel transport and storage companies maintain and update various oil spill prevention and oil spill contingency plans. Facilities that are adjacent to water require the engagement of Federally Certified Oil Spill Response Organizations to be available to respond to a spill on water from above-ground storage tanks or pipelines.
Transportation and storage of refined products over and adjacent to water involves risk and potentially subjects us to strict, joint and potentially unlimited liability for removal costs and other consequences of an oil spill where the spill is into navigable waters, along shorelines or in the exclusive economic zone of the United States. In the event of an oil spill into navigable waters, substantial liabilities could be imposed upon us. The Clean Water Act imposes restrictions and strict controls regarding the discharge of pollutants into navigable waters, with the potential of substantial liability for the violation of permits or permitting requirements.
Terminal operations and associated facilities are subject to the Clean Air Act as well as comparable state and local statutes. Under these laws, permits may be required before construction can commence on a new source of potentially significant air emissions, and operating permits may be required for sources that are already constructed. If regulations become more stringent, additional emission control technologies may be required at our facilities. Any such future obligation could require us to incur significant additional capital or operating costs. Additionally, permits or licenses may be difficult to obtain and may include public comment and other public involvement periods, which could affect agency considerations or the decisions reached. For more information, see our regulatory disclosure titled Air Emissions and Climate Change included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, filed with the SEC on February 14, 2025.
Terminal operations are subject to additional programs and regulations under Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Liability under, or a violation of compliance with, these laws and regulations, or any future laws or regulations, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash available for distribution to our unitholders.
Pipeline operations are also subject to a number of environmental and safety programs and regulations. Should our operations fail to comply with applicable Department of Transportation or comparable state regulations regarding pipeline safety, we could be subject to substantial fines and penalties. In addition, the adoption of recently proposed or new laws or regulations that apply more comprehensive or stringent safety standards could require us to install new or modified safety controls, pursue new capital projects or conduct maintenance programs on an accelerated basis, all of which could require us to incur increased operational costs that could be significant. For more information, see our regulatory disclosure titled Pipeline Safety Regulation included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, filed with the SEC on February 14, 2025.
Certain environmental laws, including the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA), impose strict, and under certain circumstances, joint and several, liability on the current and former owners and operators of properties for the costs of investigation and removal or remediation of contamination and also impose liability for any related damages to natural resources without regard to fault. Under CERCLA and similar state laws, as persons who arrange for the transportation, treatment, and disposal of hazardous substances, we may also be subject to liability at sites where such
38
hazardous substances come to be located. We may be subject to third-party claims alleging property damage and/or personal injury in connection with releases of or exposure to hazardous substances at, from, or in the vicinity of our current or former properties or off-site waste disposal sites. Costs associated with the investigation and remediation of contamination, as well as associated third-party claims, could be substantial, and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and our ability to service our outstanding indebtedness. In addition, the presence of, or failure to remediate, identified or unidentified contamination at our properties could materially and adversely affect our ability to sell or rent such property or to borrow money using such property as collateral.
We are required to make financial expenditures to comply with regulations governing underground storage tanks as adopted by federal, state and local regulatory agencies. Compliance with existing and future environmental laws regulating underground storage tank systems of the kind we use may require significant capital expenditures. For example, the EPA has previously published rules that amend existing federal underground storage tank rules, requiring certain upgrades to underground storage tanks and related piping to further ensure the detection, prevention, investigation and remediation of leaks and spills.
We are required to comply with federal and state financial responsibility requirements to demonstrate that we have the ability to pay for cleanups or to compensate third parties for damages incurred as a result of a release of regulated materials from our underground storage tank systems. We seek to comply with these requirements by maintaining insurance that we purchase from private insurers and in certain circumstances, rely on applicable state trust funds, which are funded by underground storage tank registration fees and taxes on wholesale purchases of motor fuels. Coverage afforded by each fund varies and is dependent upon the continued maintenance and solvency of each fund.
We are responsible for investigating and remediating contamination at a number of our current and former properties. We are entitled to reimbursement for certain of these costs under various third-party contractual indemnities and insurance policies, subject to eligibility requirements, deductibles, per incident, annual and aggregate caps. To the extent third parties (including insurers) do not pay for investigation and remediation, and/or insurance is not available, we will be obligated to make these additional payments, which could have a material adverse impact on our business, liquidity, results of operations and cash available for distribution to our unitholders.
Our environmental, health and safety program may not identify all environmental liabilities at all of our current and former locations; material environmental or pipeline safety conditions not known to us may exist; existing and future laws, ordinances or regulations may impose material environmental or pipeline safety liability or compliance costs on us; or we may be required to make material expenditures for the remediation of contamination or pipeline integrity and safety matters.
The occurrence of any of the events described above could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash available for distribution to our unitholders.