Nevada’s Only Refinery Shifts to Production Amid Western Supply Crunch

For years, Sky Quarry focused on the unglamorous work of infrastructure repair and capital strengthening. That preparation phase has now ended, with the company shifting its focus toward operational performance and cash generation. The refinery is configured to produce diesel, vacuum gas oil, naphtha, and asphalt, positioning itself to capitalize on a regional fuel math defined by the closure of several major California facilities.

To lead this transition, the company appointed Ray Hansen, a 35-year refining veteran with previous tenures at Chevron, CITGO, and HF Sinclair. Hansen’s mandate includes scaling Foreland’s operations while overseeing the company's oil sands project in Utah. Beyond the refinery gates, Sky Quarry is attempting to catalyze new drilling in Railroad Valley, Nevada’s primary oil-producing region, to secure a local supply of crude. While a 2025 U.S. Geological Survey assessment suggests 1.4 billion barrels of undiscovered oil reside beneath federal lands in the state, the company acknowledges that these resources remain speculative until third-party operators successfully drill and produce them.