Oct. 28 (Bloomberg) -- Flying J Inc., a closely held operator of refineries in Utah and California, shut a hydrocracking unit after losing an electrical transformer.

The refinery shut the unit yesterday at 10:50 a.m. local time, according to a report on the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services Web site. The Big West refinery is in Bakersfield, California.

Flying J's Big West of California LLC is comprised of three refineries which can process about 68,000 barrels of crude oil a day.

Refinery manager Gene Cotton didn't immediately return a message left with a company operator. The shutdown also caused an unknown about of sulfur dioxide to flare, according to the state filing.

Flying J is an Ogden, Utah-based fuel retailer and restaurant operator that caters to commercial truckers.

To contact the reporter on this story: Jordan Burke in New York at jburke29@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: October 28, 2007 13:27 EDT