NewsWest 9
This is one of several potential sites for a state of the art oil refinery, and if everything works out as planned, this plant could save drivers lots of money.
"People are waiting for the refinery, they're going to see what's going to happen with it, they want to see if it will really truly affect those gas prices or those pump prices, and it will," Donna Johnson, Seminole Economic Development Director, said.
Easing your pain at the pump is what a computer controlled state of the art oil refinery could do.
"There will be controllers, just people sitting behind the computer screen monitoring what's going on in each vessel," Johnson said.
Gaines County is paving the way for the 40 million dollar project to boost this already booming economy. Right now, gas prices are higher than surrounding counties, because as Seminole Economic Development Director Donna Johnson says, they're paying up for transportation costs.
"We pump crude out of the ground here, and we transport it, most of it goes via pipeline to the Gulf Coast where its refined into diesel or unleaded gasoline, then it's trucked back here," Johnson said.
Johnson goes on to say because Gaines County is harvested with crude transmission lines, having a refinery could cut extra spending out of your pocket and it's safe.
"We're looking at land that has never been farmed in several years," Johnson said.
Saving Gaines County and neighboring county residents a trip and time.
"And then we'll have people coming into Seminole to purchase gas, to do their shopping here, and take care of their errands, whether than going to Andrews, Midland, Hobbs or Lubbock," Johnson said.
The site for the potential oil refinery will be announced at the end of this year.
