History

Founding

Inlet Petroleum Company (IPC) was founded in 1986 as a Chevron distributor, just two years before North Slope oil production peaked. Exploration companies were in need of lubricant solutions providers and Inlet stepped into the role. As new players developed their presence in Alaska, IPC differentiated itself by offering exceptional customer service, product access and expertise.

Early Growth & Partnerships

IPC became the first Alaska distributor for Phillips 66, BP/Castrol and Shell after its purchase of Pennzoil and Quaker-State. Through partnerships with leading lubricant manufacturers, Inlet was able to expand its lube center network by marketing new product lines. Realizing that customers needed more than just oil, Inlet began to build out a full suite of complementary product lines to meet the growing needs of Alaska customers.

Part of the Saltchuk Family of Businesses

In 2005, having clearly differentiated itself from the competition, Inlet Petroleum Company was acquired by Saltchuk and merged with their existing petroleum business in Alaska, Delta Western, a part of the NorthStar Energy family of fuel businesses. In 2018, recognizing the enduring power of the Inlet brand, NorthStar relaunched and refreshed the Inlet brand as Inlet Energy, aligning with a new mission and vision to drive a cleaner energy future while guiding customers through the changes of an evolving petroleum industry.

Core Values

Inlet Energy and our sister companies in the NorthStar Energy group share four core values:

  1. Cohesion – We embrace our differences and unite around common goals

  2. Commitment – We stay focused to get things done

  3. Courage – We speak up when something’s not right or unsafe

  4. Personal Agency – We take action

We know our differences are what make us strongest, and a culture of cohesion is how we bring different mindsets and backgrounds together to create the best solutions for our customers. We commit to our employees and customers, to the communities we serve, and to the stunning environments in which we operate. We have the courage to see things through and to stand up to what isn’t right. Every single employee is empowered to exercise personal agency, whether that means solving a problem, owning a solution and bringing together the right team to make it real, or exercising Stop Work Authority if something feels unsafe.

“We didn’t invent these values; we studied our history and uncovered what has been key to our success all along.”

Inlet Energy and our sister companies in the NorthStar Energy group are committed to the safety of all people and the environments in which we operate. We are guided by the values and ethics of our parent company and do business in accordance with the Saltchuk Code of Ethics.

 

Expertise

Alaska’s Petroleum Solution Experts

Our goal is to be your go-to petroleum solutions and related product provider in Alaska, whether you’re responsible for an oil and gas operation, a small business, or an environmental response effort. Inlet Energy’s team of experts have over a century of combined experience in petroleum products and applications. We gain additional mind share through our cohesive network of sister companies, each with complementary specializations, including bulk fuel imports, transfers and blending, coastal and inland supply & logistics, and Arctic operations.

We strive for expertise in four key categories so we can provide best-in-class partnership to customers of all types and sizes, anywhere in Alaska.

1.

Lubricants: Diagnostics, Product & Product Application

  • Most Certified Lubrication Specialists (CLS) and Oil Monitoring Analysts (OMA-1) in the state.

  • Alaska’s only Chevron 1st Source Elite designated marketer.

  • First employees in Alaska to pass the Machine Lubricant Analyst (MLA-1) course.

  • Members of the Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers (STLE), and the International Council for Machinery Lubrication (ICML).

2.

Fuel: Bulk Fuel and Delivery Services

  • Proprietary bulk fuel truck fleet.

  • Qualified, professional drivers.

  • Jobber for retail station network.

  • In-tank fleet fueling for on-road and off-road customers.

3.

Warehousing: Bulk Lube Dispensing, Full Suite Packaged Product Inventory

  • Full suite portfolio of products on offer through partnerships with leading global petroleum product manufacturers.

  • Safe, efficient product pickup at the newly-designed Anchorage warehouse, equipped with over 40,000 square feet of warehouse storage and over 100,000 gallons of bulk lubricant storage with proprietary interior dispensing capabilities.

  • Additional warehouses in Kenai, Fairbanks and Prudhoe Bay.

4.

Safety & Environmental: Product Handling, Compliant Operations, Environmental Prevention & Response Products

  • Safety is the primary concern for all Inlet Energy employees!

  • 24-hour HAZWOPPER training for hazardous material handling.

  • Supported by the growing NorthStar Energy Environmental & Safety team to operate in compliance with EPA, ADEC, OSHA, MSHA and DOT regulations.

  • Environmental protection and response product lines in stock, helping other businesses stay equipped to protect against environmental release.

Let’s Work Together