Tesoro Corp., an oil refiner and marketer that operates Hawai'i's largest refinery, said second-quarter profit was less than one tenth of that it reported a year earlier, as it was battered by higher crude oil prices.

The San Antonio-based company said net income was $4 million, or 3 cents a share, during the April to June quarter.

That compared to a year-earlier profit of $443 million, or $3.17 a share.

"The refining sector continues to be impacted by higher crude and energy costs, and lower demand compared to a year ago," said Bruce Smith, Tesoro chairman, president and chief executive officer.

The company said among the operational improvements it expects during the second half of the year are initiatives at its Campbell Industrial Park facility that benefit from processing lower-cost crude oil.