COMPANY·HISTORIES
SIC 2911

Petroleum Refining

How the companies in this industry began, and the forces that shaped them.

44companies1880–1987founding years42still active2no longer operating
§ 01

The industry over time

Companies foundedEconomyTechnologyEnvironment
FoundedImperial Oil Limited
1880
FoundedAmoco Corporation
1889
FoundedUSX Corporation
1901
1903
TechnologyThe Wright brothers achieve powered flight.
FoundedDeutsche BP Aktiengesellschaft
1904
1908
TechnologyThe Ford Model T brings the automobile to the middle class.
FoundedThe British Petroleum Company plc
1909
1913
EconomyThe Federal Reserve is created.
1914
EconomyWorld War I begins; global trade reorders.
FoundedPetroFina S.A.
1920
FoundedShell Oil Company
1922
FoundedCrown Central Petroleum Corporation
1923
FoundedQuantum Chemical Corporation
1924
FoundedThe Louisiana Land and Exploration Company
1926
1929
EconomyThe stock market crashes; the Great Depression begins.
1933
EconomyNew Deal reforms reshape banking and industry.
FoundedHunt Consolidated, Inc.
1934
FoundedCaltex Petroleum Corporation
1936
FoundedPetroleos Mexicanos
1938
1939
EconomyWorld War II begins; wartime production surges.
FoundedKoch Industries, Inc.
1942
1945
EconomyThe war ends; a long postwar expansion begins.
1947
TechnologyThe transistor is invented at Bell Labs.
FoundedTosco Corporation
1955
FoundedFINA, Inc.
1956
EconomyThe Interstate Highway program remakes commerce.
1958
TechnologyThe integrated circuit is demonstrated.
1962
EnvironmentSilent Spring launches the modern environmental movement.
FoundedFlying J Inc.
1968
FoundedRed Apple Group, Inc.
1970
EnvironmentThe EPA is founded; environmental regulation expands.
1971
EconomyThe dollar leaves the gold standard; Nasdaq opens.
1973
EconomyThe OPEC oil embargo triggers a global shock.
1975
TechnologyThe personal-computer era begins with the Altair.
1979
EconomyA second oil crisis drives inflation higher.
1980
EnvironmentSuperfund law makes polluters pay for cleanup.
1981
TechnologyThe IBM PC launches and sets a standard.
1984
TechnologyApple ships the Macintosh; the GUI era begins.
1987
EconomyBlack Monday: markets fall 22% in a single day.
1989
EnvironmentThe Exxon Valdez spill reshapes energy and shipping rules.
1990
EnvironmentThe Clean Air Act amendments tighten emissions limits.
1991
TechnologyThe World Wide Web is released to the public.
1993
TechnologyThe Mosaic browser brings the web to everyone.
1995
TechnologyWindows 95 launches; the internet goes mainstream.
1997
EconomyThe Asian financial crisis rattles global markets.
EnvironmentThe Kyoto Protocol sets the first climate targets.
2000
EconomyThe dot-com bubble bursts.
2001
EconomyThe September 11 attacks; a recession follows.
2004
TechnologySocial media and Web 2.0 begin to take hold.
2007
TechnologyThe iPhone launches the smartphone era.
2008
EconomyThe global financial crisis freezes credit.
2010
EnvironmentThe Deepwater Horizon spill triggers sweeping energy rules.
TechnologyCloud computing goes mainstream for business.
2015
EnvironmentThe Paris Agreement sets global climate targets.
2020
EconomyThe COVID-19 pandemic upends the global economy.
2022
EconomyInflation spikes; central banks raise rates sharply.
2023
TechnologyGenerative AI reaches mainstream business use.
§ 02

The companies

Imperial Oil Limited →
Active · founded 1880 · Canada
Imperial Oil Limited is Canada's largest producer of crude oil and a leading producer of natural gas.
Imperial Oil Limited →
Active · founded 1880 · Canada
Imperial Oil Limited is Canada's largest producer of crude oil and a leading producer of natural gas.
Amoco Corporation →
Active · founded 1889
Amoco Corporation is active in three main fields within the petroleum, natural gas, and chemical industries:…
Amoco Corporation →
Active · founded 1889
Amoco Corporation is active in three main fields within the petroleum, natural gas, and chemical industries:…
USX Corporation →
Active · founded 1901
USX Corporation is an international diversified energy and steel-manufacturing company.
USX Corporation →
Active · founded 1901
USX Corporation is an international diversified energy and steel-manufacturing company.
Deutsche BP Aktiengesellschaft →
Active · founded 1904 · Germany
Deutsche BP Aktiengesellschaft is one of the top suppliers of petroleum products in the competitively fragmented German…
Deutsche BP Aktiengesellschaft →
Active · founded 1904 · Germany
Deutsche BP Aktiengesellschaft is one of the top suppliers of petroleum products in the competitively fragmented German…
The British Petroleum Company plc →
Active · founded 1909 · England
One of the five largest oil companies in the world, The British Petroleum Company plc (BP) is the United Kingdom's…
The British Petroleum Company plc →
Active · founded 1909 · England
One of the five largest oil companies in the world, The British Petroleum Company plc (BP) is the United Kingdom's…
E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company →
Active · founded 1915
E.I.
E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company →
Active · founded 1915
E.I.
PetroFina S.A. →
Defunct · founded 1920 · Belgium
PetroFina S.A., Belgium's largest corporation, is the 15th largest publicly traded integrated oil and gas company in…
PetroFina S.A. →
Defunct · founded 1920 · Belgium
PetroFina S.A., Belgium's largest corporation, is the 15th largest publicly traded integrated oil and gas company in…
Shell Oil Company →
Active · founded 1922
One of North America's leading producers of oil, gas, and petrochemicals, Shell Oil Company has distinguished itself…
Shell Oil Company →
Active · founded 1922
One of North America's leading producers of oil, gas, and petrochemicals, Shell Oil Company has distinguished itself…
Crown Central Petroleum Corporation →
Active · founded 1923 · United States
Crown Central Petroleum Corporation is an independent refiner and marketer of petroleum products, including…
Crown Central Petroleum Corporation →
Active · founded 1923 · United States
Crown Central Petroleum Corporation is an independent refiner and marketer of petroleum products, including…
Quantum Chemical Corporation →
Active · founded 1924
Quantum Chemical Corporation (prior to 1988, the National Distillers and Chemical Corporation) is one of the largest…
Quantum Chemical Corporation →
Active · founded 1924
Quantum Chemical Corporation (prior to 1988, the National Distillers and Chemical Corporation) is one of the largest…
Texaco Inc. →
Active · founded 1926
Texaco is one of the world's largest oil companies, with exploratory, manufacturing, and marketing operations across…
Texaco Inc. →
Active · founded 1926
Texaco is one of the world's largest oil companies, with exploratory, manufacturing, and marketing operations across…
The Louisiana Land and Exploration Company →
Active · founded 1926
The Louisiana Land and Exploration Company (LL&E) is one of the largest independent oil and gas exploration companies…
The Louisiana Land and Exploration Company →
Active · founded 1926
The Louisiana Land and Exploration Company (LL&E) is one of the largest independent oil and gas exploration companies…
Hunt Consolidated, Inc. →
Active · founded 1934
Hunt Consolidated, Inc.
Hunt Consolidated, Inc. →
Active · founded 1934
Hunt Consolidated, Inc.
Caltex Petroleum Corporation →
Active · founded 1936
Caltex Petroleum Corporation is the world's largest and most successful joint venture in business history.
Caltex Petroleum Corporation →
Active · founded 1936
Caltex Petroleum Corporation is the world's largest and most successful joint venture in business history.
Petroleos Mexicanos →
Active · founded 1938 · Mexico
Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex) is Mexico's largest enterprise in terms of total sales, total assets, personnel employed,…
Petroleos Mexicanos →
Active · founded 1938 · Mexico
Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex) is Mexico's largest enterprise in terms of total sales, total assets, personnel employed,…
Koch Industries, Inc. →
Active · founded 1942
Koch Industries, Inc., a diversified petrochemical company, is the second-largest privately held firm in the United…
Koch Industries, Inc. →
Active · founded 1942
Koch Industries, Inc., a diversified petrochemical company, is the second-largest privately held firm in the United…
Holly Corporation →
Active · founded 1947
Holly Corporation is an independent oil refiner based in Dallas, Texas.
Holly Corporation →
Active · founded 1947
Holly Corporation is an independent oil refiner based in Dallas, Texas.
Tosco Corporation →
Active · founded 1955
Tosco Corporation is one of the largest independent refiners of petroleum products in the United States.
Tosco Corporation →
Active · founded 1955
Tosco Corporation is one of the largest independent refiners of petroleum products in the United States.
FINA, Inc. →
Active · founded 1956
FINA, Inc.
FINA, Inc. →
Active · founded 1956
FINA, Inc.
Flying J Inc. →
Active · founded 1968
Flying J Inc.
Flying J Inc. →
Active · founded 1968
Flying J Inc.
Red Apple Group, Inc. →
Active · founded 1970
Under the names Gristede's, Sloan's, and Red Apple, Red Apple Group, Inc., wholly owned by John A.
Red Apple Group, Inc. →
Active · founded 1970
Under the names Gristede's, Sloan's, and Red Apple, Red Apple Group, Inc., wholly owned by John A.
Repsol S.A. →
Active · founded 1987 · Spain
Repsol S.A.
Repsol S.A. →
Active · founded 1987 · Spain
Repsol S.A.
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