James L. Mladenik

Senior Associate

After 33 years with ARCO and BP, Jim Mladenik joined Stillwater Associates in January 2016. Recent projects have included consultation on mergers, litigation support, comments to the EPA on the role of E85 in meeting the Renewable Fuel Standard, and aiding in the launch of Stillwater’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard newsletter.

Jim’s 16 years of experience with BP covered all parts of the West Coast fuel value chain. He was instrumental in developing product placement, production, and marketing strategies; setting up the distillate trading book; and establishing wholesale diesel offers and military contract bids. Jim also developed BP’s compliance strategies for California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard and Carbon Cap & Trade program and the federal Renewable Fuels Standard.

During his time at ARCO, Jim served as a technical specialist supporting the company’s two West Coast refineries. In this capacity, he created one of the world’s first comprehensive mathematical models of the delayed coking process. He later led the technical support team in the coking area which supplied a large calcined coke marketing business.

Jim received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Chemical Engineering from the University of Notre Dame in 1981 and 1982, respectively. He earned an MBA from the University of California, Irvine in 1997.

Contributions

Policy

Cleaner Fuels, Higher Stakes: Washington’s Bold New CI Reduction Path 

June 17, 2025

What are the likely consequences of increasing the carbon intensity (CI) reduction schedule for a state low carbon fuel (LCF) program fast or deep enough to make compliance uncertain or unlikely? We may be about to find out!   HB1409 – a bill recently passed by the Washington state legislature and signed into law by Washington Governor...

News

How will Valero’s Benicia refinery shutdown impact West Coast fuel supply?  

May 12, 2025

On Tuesday, April 15th, Valero Energy submitted notice to the California Energy Commission of its intent to idle, restructure, or cease refining operations at its Benicia refinery by the end of April 2026. Stillwater published an article analyzing the potential impacts of this closure on California’s gasoline market (Benicia Blues: Valero’s Shutdown Signals Trouble for...