Governor de Jongh met this morning with officials of HOVENSA and its owners, HOVIC, a subsidiary of Hess Corporation and PDVSA, VI, a subsidiary of Petroleos de Venezuela, SA, to discuss the closure of what is one of the world's largest oil refineries and the Territory's largest private sector employer.

Governor John P. de Jongh, Jr. convened a meeting with officials of HOVENSA, HESS and PDVSA to discuss closure of St. Croix oil refinery, February 2, 2012

“Today’s meeting with the senior officials of the three companies was the first of what I believe will be several meetings to address their closure of the oil refinery, their proposed use of the facility as an oil terminal and their obligations under the existing agreement. I expressed my deep concerns about the economic impact of this decision on the Territory, their view of the obligation to provide fuel to meet the needs of WAPA and the general community and the basis of under which we preserve a relationship into the future under a business model that makes sense to them and is beneficial to us,” the governor said after the meeting. 

The topics reviewed at the meeting included the future of HOVENSA's St. Croix site, fueling for the Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority, approaches to meeting the local needs of the Territory, the operations of the proposed oil terminal at the site and the continuing legal obligations of HOVENSA under its agreements with the Government of the Virgin Islands.