ENVIRONMENT

These Indiana fossil fuel companies received PPP loans intended for small businesses

Sarah Bowman
Indianapolis Star

On July 6, the Small Business Administration released data on the businesses that received anywhere between $150,000 up to $10 million in what are potentially forgivable loans through the Paycheck Protection Program.  

The loan program was created as part of the CARES Act and was designed to incentivize small businesses hurt by the coronavirus pandemic to keep their workers on the payroll.

More than 660,000 businesses across the country received loans from the small-business lending program. The loans will be forgiven if they go toward payroll, rent utility costs or mortgage interest, based on the administration's rules.

While Indiana coal and gas firms:Received millions in loans, clean energy was left behind

The loans benefited a wide variety of business across the country, including restaurant franchises, nonprofit groups, construction companies, medical organizations and educational institutions.

Also among those to benefit: the energy industry — and especially those companies in the fossil fuel sector. 

Nearly 5,000 fossil fuel companies — including those that mine coal, extract oil, refine the gas, build wells and pipelines, and manufacturer equipment to do so — collectively received at least $2.5 billion and as much as $6 billion in PPP loans, according to Climate Power 2020, a project created by the Center for American Progress, League of Conservation Voters and Sierra Club.

More than three dozen such companies are in Indiana. Additional companies in the fossil fuel sector may also have received funds but were not immediately apparent from the review and analysis of the data. 

It is difficult to know the exact amounts they received, based on the data. The agency reported the loan amounts in ranges: The highest range is $5 million to $10 million, followed by $2 million to $5 million, $1 million to $2 million, $350,000 to $1 million and finally $150,000 to $350,000.

It's also unclear how many jobs were saved by the loans. The Trump administration only disclosed companies and nonprofits approved for loans above $150,000.

The names and addresses of companies approved for loans of less than $150,000 — the bulk in Indiana — have been withheld. Demographic information is incomplete, as are details about eligibility and whether loans have been returned.

Job retention details also vary wildly with some companies receiving very little yet retaining hundreds of jobs.

Here are the companies in Indiana that received funds from the program: 

$5 million to $10 million 

Hallador Energy, a coal mining corporation out of Terre Haute, received $10 million.

CountryMark Refining & Logistics, an oil and gas extraction company out of Mount Vernon, received between $5 million to $10 million. (A subsidiary of CountryMark Cooperative Holding Corporation.)

White Stallion Energy, a coal mining company out of Evansville, received between $5 million to $10 million.

$2 million to $5 million 

CountryMark Energy Resources, a petroleum refining company out of Evansville, received between $2 million and $5 million. (A subsidiary of CountryMark Cooperative Holding Corporation.)

American Resources Corporation, a coal mining company out of Fishers, received between $2 million and $5 million.

Gladieux Trading and Marketing Company, a petroleum refining and supplier company out of Fort Wayne, received between $2 million and $5 million.

Al Warren Oil Company, a fuel marketer and supplier out of Hammond, received between $2 million and $5 million.

Altom Transport, a petroleum transporting and hauling company out of Hammond, received between $2 million and $5 million.

Pinnacle Oil Holdings, an oil manufacturer and distributor out of Indianapolis, received between $2 million and $5 million.

Ottenweller Company, a metal fabrication company for mining, gas, solar and wind out of Fort Wayne, received between $2 million and $5 million.

$1 million to $2 million 

Franklin Well Services, an oil and gas service company out of Vincennes, received between $1 million and $2 million. (It is a sister company of Pioneer Oil Field Services and Pioneer Oil Company.)

Roberts Pipeline, a natural gas and petroleum pipeline contractor out of Middletown, received between $1 million and $2 million.

AMPP Construction, a pipeline contractor out of Winchester, received between $1 million and $2 million.

Herdrich Petroleum, a petroleum product supplier (bulk station/terminal) out of Rushville, received between $1 million and $2 million.

XL Industrial Services, a petroleum pipeline contractor out of La Porte, received between $1 million and $2 million.

Heritage Petroleum, a petroleum product supplier (bulk station/terminal) out of Evansville, received between $1 million and $2 million.

National Oil & Gas, a petroleum product supplier (bulk station/terminal) out of Bluffton, received between $1 million and $2 million.

NRP Jones, an oil and gas field equipment manufacturer and supplier out of La Porte, received between $1 million and $2 million.

$350,000 to $1 million 

A&B Contracting, a contractor company providing support services for coal mining out of Owensville, received between $350,000 and $1 million.

Belt Tech Industrial, a coal mining equipment manufacturer and supplier out of Washington, received between $350,000 and $1 million.

Bellman Oil Company, a fuel product supplier out of Bremen, received between $350,000 and $1 million.

CountryMark Cooperative Holding Corporation, through its subsidiaries, a fuel and oil producer, marketer and supplier out of Indianapolis, received between $350,000 and $1 million. (CountryMark Refining & Logistics and CountryMark Energy Resources are subsidiaries.)

Daystar Directional Drilling, an oil and gas drilling contractor out of Noblesville, received between $350,000 and $1 million.

Pioneer Oil Company, an oil and gas producer and oilfield operator out of Vincennes, received between $350,000 and $1 million. (A sister company of Pioneer Oil Field Services and Franklin Well Services.) 

Pioneer Oil Field Services, an oil and gas well drilling contractor out of Vincennes, received between $350,000 and $1 million. (A sister company of Pioneer Oil Company and Franklin Well Services.)

Sun Energy Group, a coal supplier company out of Huntingburg, received between $350,000 and $1 million.

Gehring Underground Utilities & Pipeline, a pipeline contractor out of Columbus, received between $350,000 and $1 million.

GTA Containers, a fuel tank and storage supplier out of South Bend, received between $350,000 and $1 million.

Stealth Energy Group, a petroleum pipeline contractor out of Zionsville, received between $350,000 and $1 million.

United Oil Corporation, a petroleum product supplier (bulk station/terminal) out of Columbia City, received between $350,000 and $1 million.

Separation by Design, an oil and gas fuel system manufacturer out of Evansville, received between $350,000 and $1 million.

$150,000 to $350,000

Brookston Resources, an oil and gas exploration company out of Newburgh, received between $150,000 and $350,000.

Dawson Oil Company, a fuel supplier out of Rushville, received between $150,000 and $350,000.

Gwaltney Drilling, an oil and gas field drilling contractor out of Washington, received between $150,000 and $350,000.

The Ridge Group, a petroleum pipeline contractor out of Muncie, received between $150,000 and $350,000.

Wally's Construction Company, an oil and gas pipeline and related construction contractor out of Washington, received between $150,000 and $350,000.

Busler Enterprises, a gas and oil product supplier out of Evansville, received between $150,000 and $350,000.

Jones Oil Company, a petroleum product supplier (bulk station/terminal) out of Shoals, received between $150,000 and $350,000.

Pinkerton Oil Company, a fuel storage tank supplier out of Chesterton, received between $150,000 and $350,000.

The Gesco Group, an oil and gas service provider out of Fort Wayne, received between $150,000 and $350,000.

Call IndyStar reporter Sarah Bowman at 317-444-6129 or email at sarah.bowman@indystar.com. Follow her on Twitter and Facebook: @IndyStarSarah. Connect with IndyStar’s environmental reporters: Join The Scrub on Facebook.

IndyStar's environmental reporting project is made possible through the generous support of the nonprofit Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust.