Refinery spokesman John Goodwin said the precise layoff numbers will be announced later, but noted that he is one of those being let go. Goodwin, who has worked at the west Tulsa refinery since Salt Lake City-based Sinclair Oil Corp. bought it from Texaco in 1983, said his last day at work is Nov. 30.

“I’m just one of the people” affected by the work-force reduction, he said. “The people who are staying are going with a very sound company.”

Dallas-based Holly and Sinclair announced the $128.5 million deal last month. Holly will end up paying about $300 million, including costs of oil inventory and other expenses, according to reports.

Sinclair spokesman Clint Ensign could not be reached for comment. Holly spokesman Neale Hickerson said his company would defer to Sinclair to comment on the work-force situation.

“We don’t own the refinery yet,” Hickerson said.

Holly hopes to complete the acquisition in December.

Sinclair has communicated with every employee who will be affected by the layoff, Goodwin said. The refinery employs about 300 people.

Holly will own both of Tulsa’s historic refineries and plans to connect them by pipeline as one cohesive unit. Holly bought the Sunoco Inc. refinery two miles up the Arkansas River for $65 million earlier this year.

In May, one month before Holly took over, Sunoco let go of about 15 of its refinery employees. Sunoco officials said the workers were laid off after Holly indicated it would not maintain the work-force numbers.

Holly employs about 360 people at the 85,00-barrel per day facility. The new owner originally planned a $150 million upgrade to build a hydrotreater and desulfurizing units at the Sunoco plant but dropped the project when it agreed to buy the 75,000-barrel per day Sinclair unit, which already produces ultra low sulfur diesel.

The refinery sale is part of Sinclair’s exit from retail and refining operations in Oklahoma. The company is seeking buyers for the remainder of its approximately 30 branded gasoline stations nationwide, including three in the Tulsa area.

The Sinclair refinery dates back to 1910, when Texas Co. built the first facility along the west bank of the Arkansas. Sinclair hoped to upgrade the refinery with a $1 billion expansion announced several years ago but mothballed that effort last year due to economic conditions industrywide.

Philadelphia-based Sunoco shut down its own $350 million Tulsa upgrade plans last year, citing some of the same economic conditions.

Various refineries nationwide are shutting down because of low product margins.