More than 1,600 oil and refining executives on Monday were greeted by a couple of dozen protesters in front of The Grand America Hotel in downtown Salt Lake City as the National Petrochemical & Refiners Association kicked off its annual meeting.

Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr., Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, and billionaire R. Earl Holding, the owner of Sinclair Oil Corp. and The Grand America, were among the association's morning speakers.

William Klesse, chairman of the association, said 2005 was an "especially difficult" year for refiners and oil producers. Klesse said the industry's challenges included last year's hurricanes, new environmental standards and strong global competition.

But with oil companies posting record profits — Exxon Mobil made $36.13 billion in 2005, the highest ever for a U.S. company — protesters like Salt Lake resident Ed Braak had little sympathy for the challenges faced by big oil.

"I'm protesting because they don't really care about anybody but their stockholders, and they're not subsidizing alternative energy," said Braak, who added that oil industry profits were "obscene and immoral."

Some association attendees seemed amused by the protesters.

"Let's see if you protest when you're cold," shot back one man.

Julie Holzer of Salt Lake City said she believed the oil industry has slowed the Bush administration's decision to bring U.S. troops home from Iraq.

"The oil reserve has been secured. It's time to come home," Holzer said. "There are more than a dozen countries ruled by known dictators, and the human rights abuses are off the record. Why aren't we there?"

Today, Rex Tillerson, chief executive officer of Exxon Mobil Corp., is scheduled to give the keynote breakfast address.

The NPRA is a trade association of more than 450 U.S. refiners and petrochemical manufacturers.

---

E-mail: danderton@desnews.com