Joseph Maloney: Why are we refining Russian oil instead of using our own?

As August began, three tankers with a combined capacity of almost two million barrels of oil prepared to pass through the Strait of Juan de Fuca to refineries in Washington state. Two of these ships were American, en route from Alaska. The third, the Nordtulip, flying the Portuguese flag, was delivering Russian oil.
Why, you might ask, would Russian oil be feeding Pacific Northwest refineries? Why is Russian oil helping to fuel your car in B.C.?
Alaska’s production is declining. Huge tanke