San Joaquin Refining
San Joaquin Refining is an independent Bakersfield, California refiner that processes San Joaquin Valley Heavy Naphthenic crude into specialty naphthenic oils, asphalt, and ULS diesel for industrial customers across dozens of verticals including tires, transformer insulation, drilling fluids, and road construction.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1969
- HeadquartersBakersfield, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What San Joaquin Refining does
San Joaquin Refining Co. Inc. is an independent, privately held petroleum refiner headquartered in Bakersfield, California, founded in 1969 and currently operating with approximately 130 employees. The company's defining operational feature is that it exclusively processes San Joaquin Valley Heavy Naphthenic crude oil sourced from Kern County — the largest oil-producing county in California — using atmospheric distillation (24,300 BPD), vacuum distillation (14,300 BPD), NMP solvent extraction (4,000 BPD), and multi-stage catalytic hydrotreating (3,500 BPD). This specialized feedstock and process stack yields a portfolio of premium naphthenic oils marketed under five branded series (RAFFENE®, HYNAP®, HYTRANS®, NAPSOL®, RAFFEX®), each targeting distinct industrial end uses such as tire rubber, transformer insulation, drilling fluids, printing inks, paints, coatings, and high-aromatic rubber/resin applications, supplemented by CARB-compliant ULS No.2 Diesel and a range of Caltrans-compliant asphalt products.
The business model is direct-to-consumer industrial B2B, with revenue generated through transaction-fee sales across five specialized desks (truck orders, railcar orders, asphalt, specialty products, and diesel) and quote-based, multi-year contract pricing. Distribution is national and international, leveraging an 800,000-barrel, 90+ tank on-site tank farm, direct truck and rail fulfillment, and export shipping via the Port of Los Angeles. The company reports annual sales of over $500 million and serves dozens of industrial verticals including automotive, construction, electrical utilities, printing, and chemical manufacturing, with regulatory qualifications including Caltrans Certificate of Compliance for asphalt and Doble Survey status for transformer insulating oils.
San Joaquin Refining firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- San Joaquin Refining
- Legal name
- San Joaquin Refining Co. Inc.
- Website
- https://sjr.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1969
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- San Joaquin Refining is an independent Bakersfield, California refiner that processes San Joaquin Valley Heavy Naphthenic crude into specialty naphthenic oils, asphalt, and ULS diesel for industrial customers across dozens of verticals including tires, transformer insulation, drilling fluids, and road construction.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
San Joaquin Refining industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Petroleum Refining and Specialty Oil Manufacturing
- NAICS
- Petroleum Refineries (324110), Petroleum Refineries (32411)
- SIC
- Petroleum Refining (2911), Miscellaneous Products Of Petroleum & Coal (2990)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Distillation & Fractionation (Crude, Condensate & NGL Splitters) (EUALAGAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Hydrotreating, Hydroprocessing & Desulfurization (HDS/HDT) (EUALAGAE), Refinery Offsites, Storage & Loading (Tankage, Truck/Rail/Marine Loading) (EUALAGAK)
Keywords
Where San Joaquin Refining is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bakersfield
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
San Joaquin Refining business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Personnel, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Specialty Naphthenic Oils: Revenue generated from refining and selling specialty naphthenic oils for industrial applications including printing inks, lubricants, rubber and plastics, adhesives, paints and coatings, and electrical insulating
- Asphalt Products: Revenue from conventional asphalt, polymer modified asphalt, asphalt cutback, and roofing applications
- Diesel Fuels: Revenue from ULS No.2 Diesel, CARB compliant products
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | B2B industrial products sold via quote-based pricing |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels2 records
San Joaquin Refining product offering
Product offeringCore offering
San Joaquin Refining is an independent petroleum refiner that processes San Joaquin Valley Heavy Naphthenic crude oil into specialty naphthenic oils, diesel fuels, and asphalt products. The company operates atmospheric and vacuum distillation, NMP solvent extraction, and multi-stage catalytic hydrotreating units to produce branded specialty oil series (RAFFENE, HYNAP, HYTRANS, NAPSOL, RAFFEX) plus ULS No.2 diesel and a range of conventional, polymer modified, cutback, and roofing asphalts for industrial customers.
Product overview
San Joaquin Refining is an independent petroleum refiner headquartered in Bakersfield, California, specializing in premium naphthenic oils and specialty petroleum products. The company operates a vertically integrated refining system processing San Joaquin Valley crude oil. Its product portfolio consists of five branded specialty oil series (RAFFENE® for industrial applications, HYNAP® for lubricants and coatings, HYTRANS® for electrical transformer insulation, NAPSOL® for drilling/solvent applications, and RAFFEX® for high-aromatic formulations), supplemented by refined fuels (ULS No.2 Diesel) and construction materials (Conventional Asphalt, Polymer Modified Asphalt, Asphalt Cutback, and Roofing Applications Asphalt). The company serves diverse industries including automotive, construction, printing, industrial manufacturing, and electrical equipment.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- RAFFENE® SERIES: Product series including Tires, Adhesives, Lubricating Base Oil, De-Dust, Rubber Process Oil, Ink Oil, Foam Carpet Underlay, Metal Working Fluids, Grease, Bar & Chain, Resin Solutions
- HYNAP® SERIES
- HYTRANS® SERIES
- NAPSOL® SERIES
- RAFFEX® SERIES
Products and services
- RAFFENE® SERIES
Companies that use San Joaquin Refining
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
San Joaquin Refining technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
San Joaquin Refining partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
San Joaquin Refining competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Phillips 66: Integrated downstream player with specialty products including transformer oils, base oils, and asphalt, providing competitive overlap in the specialty lubricant and electrical insulating oil segments where SJR operates.
- HF Sinclair (HollyFrontier): Large US independent refiner with a broader commodity focus but overlapping asphalt and base oil businesses, providing a publicly traded reference point for specialty-heavy refining economics.
- PBF Energy: Independent US refiner with a California presence (Martinez refinery), competing with San Joaquin Refining in the California asphalt and fuel markets while operating at significantly larger scale.
- Valero Energy: One of the largest US refiners with California assets, competing in CARB-compliant diesel and asphalt. While focused on commodity fuels, Valero's California operations directly overlap with SJR's diesel and asphalt streams.
- Marathon Petroleum: Major US refiner with California refining assets and an asphalt distribution business, representing a much larger but more diversified competitor in the same downstream value chain.
Direct peers
- Nynas AB: Global leader in specialty naphthenic oils with refineries in Europe and the Americas, directly competing with San Joaquin Refining's RAFFENE, HYNAP, and HYTRANS series in the same specialty oil end-markets (transformers, tires, industrial lubricants).
- Ergon, Inc. Operates specialty naphthenic and paraffinic base oil refineries (notably Vicksburg) and competes head-on with San Joaquin Refining in process oils, base oils, and asphalt products, using similar NMP extraction and hydrotreating technology.
- Calumet, Inc. Independent specialty refiner producing specialty base oils, lubricants, waxes, and asphalt from multiple US facilities, sharing a similar business model of converting crude into higher-margin specialty petroleum products rather than commodity fuels.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
San Joaquin Refining social profiles
Digital presenceSan Joaquin Refining compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
San Joaquin Refining financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
San Joaquin Refining leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles14 records
San Joaquin Refining funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
San Joaquin Refining M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about San Joaquin Refining
What does San Joaquin Refining do?
San Joaquin Refining is an independent petroleum refiner that processes San Joaquin Valley Heavy Naphthenic crude oil into specialty naphthenic oils, diesel fuels, and asphalt products. The company operates atmospheric and vacuum distillation, NMP solvent extraction, and multi-stage catalytic hydrotreating units to produce branded specialty oil series (RAFFENE, HYNAP, HYTRANS, NAPSOL, RAFFEX) plus ULS No.2 diesel and a range of conventional, polymer modified, cutback, and roofing asphalts for industrial customers.
Is San Joaquin Refining a public or private company?
San Joaquin Refining is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was San Joaquin Refining founded?
San Joaquin Refining was founded in 1969. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is San Joaquin Refining based?
San Joaquin Refining is headquartered in Bakersfield, United States, in the North America region.
How does San Joaquin Refining make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Specialty Naphthenic Oils are the primary driver. The others are asphalt Products and diesel Fuels.
Who are San Joaquin Refining's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Phillips 66, HF Sinclair (HollyFrontier), PBF Energy, Valero Energy and Marathon Petroleum. Direct peers are Nynas AB, Ergon, Inc. and Calumet, Inc..
Does San Joaquin Refining have an API?
No public API is recorded for San Joaquin Refining.
What industry is San Joaquin Refining in?
San Joaquin Refining's product category is Petroleum Refining and Specialty Oil Manufacturing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUALAGAD, Distillation & Fractionation (Crude, Condensate & NGL Splitters), with a secondary code of EUALAGAE, Hydrotreating, Hydroprocessing & Desulfurization (HDS/HDT). Its NAICS code is 324110 and its SIC code is 2911.