NTI

Northern Tier Energy

We are an independent downstream energy limited partnership with refining, retail and pipeline operations that serves the PADD II region of the United States. We operate our assets in two business segments: the refining business and the retail business. For the three months ended March 31, 2012, we had total revenues of approximately $1.0 billion, operating income of $2.7 million, a net loss of $193.6 million and Adjusted EBITDA of $81.5 million. For the year ended December 31, 2011, we had total revenues of $4.3 billion, operating income of $422.6 million, net earnings of $28.3 million and Adjusted EBITDA of $430.7 million. For a definition, and reconciliation, of Adjusted EBITDA to net earnings, see “—Summary Historical Condensed Consolidated Financial and Other Data.”

Refining Business

Our refining business primarily consists of a 74,000 barrels per calendar day (“bpd”) (84,500 barrels per stream day) refinery located in St. Paul Park, Minnesota. Our refinery has a Nelson complexity index of 11.5, which refers to the ability of a refinery to produce finished products based on its investment intensity and cost relative to other refineries. Our refinery’s complexity allows us to process a variety of light, heavy, sweet and sour crudes into higher value refined products.

We are one of only two refineries in Minnesota and one of four refineries in the Upper Great Plains area within the Petroleum Administration for Defense District (“PADD”) II region. Our strategic location allows us direct access, primarily via the Minnesota Pipeline, to what we believe are abundant supplies of advantageously priced crude oils. Of the crude oil processed at our refinery in the year ended December 31, 2011 and in the three months ended March 31, 2012, approximately 51% and 39%, respectively, was Canadian crude oil and the remainder was comprised of mostly light sweet crude oil from the Bakken Shale in North Dakota. Many of these crude oils have historically priced at a discount to the U.S. benchmark West Texas Intermediate crude oil (“NYMEX WTI”). Further, over the past twelve months, NYMEX WTI has traded at an additional discount relative to waterborne crude oils, such as Brent crude oil (“Brent”).

We expect to continue to benefit from our access to these growing crude oil supplies. By 2030, according to the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (“CAPP”), total Canadian crude oil production is expected to grow to 6.2 million bpd from 2011 production of 3.0 million bpd. Crude oil production from the Bakken Shale in North Dakota has also increased significantly, helping to grow crude oil production in North Dakota from approximately 98,000 bpd in 2005 to approximately 575,000 bpd as of March 2012, and is expected to continue to grow due to improvements in unconventional resource production techniques.

Our location also allows us to distribute our refined products throughout the midwestern United States. Our refinery produces a broad slate of refined products including gasoline, diesel, jet fuel and asphalt, which are then marketed to resellers and consumers primarily in the PADD II region. Approximately 83% and 79% of our total refinery production for the three months ended March 31, 2012 and the year ended December 31, 2011, respectively, was comprised of higher value, light refined products, including gasoline and distillates.

We also own various storage and transportation assets, including a light products terminal, a heavy products terminal, storage tanks, rail loading/unloading facilities and a Mississippi river dock. Approximately 70% and 83% of our gasoline and diesel volumes for the three months ended March 31, 2012 and the year ended December 31, 2011, respectively, were sold via our light products terminal to our company-operated and franchised SuperAmerica branded convenience stores, Marathon branded convenience stores and other resellers. We have a contract with Marathon to supply substantially all of the gasoline and diesel requirements for 90 independently owned and operated Marathon branded convenience stores.

Our refining business also includes our 17% interest in the Minnesota Pipe Line Company LLC (the “Minnesota Pipe Line Company”), which owns and operates the Minnesota Pipeline, a 455,000 bpd crude oil pipeline system that transports crude oil (primarily from Western Canada and North Dakota) for approximately 300 miles from the Enbridge pipeline hub at Clearbrook, Minnesota to our refinery. The Minnesota Pipeline has historically transported the majority of the crude oil used and processed in our refinery.

Retail Business

As of March 31, 2012, our retail business operated 166 convenience stores under the SuperAmerica brand and also supported 67 franchised convenience stores, which are also operated under the SuperAmerica brand. These convenience stores are located primarily in Minnesota and Wisconsin and sell various grades of gasoline and diesel, tobacco products and immediately consumable items such as non-alcoholic beverages, beer, prepared food and a large variety of snacks and prepackaged items. Our refinery supplied substantially all of the gasoline and diesel sold in our company-operated and franchised convenience stores for the three months ended March 31, 2012 and the year ended December 31, 2011.

We also own and operate SuperMom’s Bakery, which prepares and distributes baked goods and other prepared food items for sale in our company-operated and franchised convenience stores and other third party locations.