Hawaii’s oil-dependent economy is being battered by Russia’s war

BARELY VISIBLE a mile off the south-western tip of Oahu, an oil tanker floats lazily in the gentle surf. Squinting from shore, an eagle-eyed observer can spot a small yellow metal platform in its shadow, hooked like an intravenous bag to the vessel by a series of tubes. It is here that the tanker’s contents are piped undersea and onto shore, and into the sprawling Kapolei complex. Operated by Par Hawaii, it is the only oil refinery in Hawaii, converting crude oil into refined products dispatched to the other islands to power cars, homes and planes. It is the beating heart of the state’s oil-dependent economy.