NuStar Energy LP has completed its merger with Sunoco LP, catapulting the San Antonio firm into a wholly-owned subsidiary under the Dallas-based giant's umbrella in a robust $7.3 billion deal. The transaction has led to an end of NuStar's presence on the New York Stock Exchange since May 3, as per a KSAT report.

The move raises questions about the security of the jobs for NuStar's sizable workforce, with 500 headquartered in San Antonio. As the companies announced this significant merger, there's growing unease among employees about potential headquarters closure and subsequent job losses, as explained in a San Antonio Business Journal report. Meanwhile, executive shifts have seen NuStar Chairman, President, and CEO Brad Barron step into a role on Sunoco's board of directors.

NuStar executives are facing an uncertain future as well, with top-level staff like Mary Rose Brown, the Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer, stating, "None of us expect to work for Sunoco long term," in a statement obtained by the Business Journal. The transition period will also involve CFO Tom Shoaf and several other top executives from NuStar, who will help navigate the companies through this amalgamation.

Amidst these organizational changes, Sunoco is banking on a financial upswing. The company projects an additional $50 million annually in cash flow from refinancing activities post-merger. Joseph Kim, President, CEO and Director of Sunoco GP LLC, expressed on a January investor call that the merger would fuel further expansion, aimed at enhancing the ammonia system of NuStar and propagating its fuels distribution reach, according to the Business Journal. Sunoco has also announced a bump in its quarterly distribution by 4%, marking an increase that could lead to a distribution of $.8756 per common unit by May 20 for those recorded as unitholders as of May 13.