About Us

ABOUT THE PORT ARTHUR REFINERY

2009-04-22T16:09:54Z

ABOUT THE MOTIVA PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS REFINERY

SITE PROFILE
The Port Arthur Refining celebrated its 100th anniversary on November 13, 2003. Motiva Port Arthur Refinery is a joint venture with a 50% ownership between Shell Oil Products US and Saudi Aramco Refining. The refinery is located in close proximity to near neighborhoods and works in partnership with its citizens. It is designed to convert approximately 275,000 barrels per day of crude oil. The refinery operates the largest single lube plant in the United States, producing lubricant base oils that are sold to Shell Lubricants as well as to other customers. The refinery employs approximately 900.

LOCATION
The Port Arthur Refinery is approximately 3,600 acres that is located in Jefferson County and within the city limits of Port Arthur, Texas. The refinery is located in close proximity to near neighborhoods. The refinery is accessible by Highway 73 and Savannah Avenue in Port Arthur and approximately 90 miles from Houston, Texas.

EARLY HISTORY
The Port Arthur Refinery began operations as the Texas Company's (Texaco) first refinery in 1903 and was a direct by-product of the January 10, 1901, Lucas gusher and the resulting Spindletop oil boom at Beaumont.
RECENT HISTORY On January 1, 1989, Saudi Refining, Inc. purchased 50% of Port Arthur refinery as part of a joint venture with Texaco and Saudi Refining known as Star Enterprise. On July 1, 1998, a joint venture was formed between Texaco, Saudi Refining and Shell Oil Co. under the name Motiva Enterprises LLC. In 2001, Texaco was purchased by Chevron and its interest in Motiva was sold to Shell and Saudi Refining on February 13, 2002. Port Arthur Refinery is still operated as Motiva, which is now jointly owned by Shell and Saudi Refining.

WORKFORCE
The refinery employs a diverse workforce of approximately 900 persons with an experienced force of 57% being over the age of 50 and 20% under the age of 40. The refinery has approximately 400 contractors on site at any given time.

Process and Maintenance Technicians operate the processing units and maintain the plant equipment. Safety and Environmental professionals, Engineers, Chemists, Quality Assurance Technicians, Business and Human Resource and Communications professionals support them.

WHAT WE MAKE

Gasoline: Regular, premium unleaded and low-sulfur gasoline. The refinery produces reformulated and conventional gasoline for domestic
Jet Fuel : Commercial aviation fuel
Diesel Fuel and Heating Oil: Low-sulfur diesel is used in the trucking industry and in heavy-duty machinery. Heating oil is used as fuel for furnaces primarily in the northeastern U.S.
#6 Oil: Tanker fuel, power generation and locomotives
Chemical Feedstocks: Ethane, propane and butane are used in the manufacture of ethylene, a major building block for chemical products. Other products include gas oils, naphtha and reformats
Largest single lube plant in the US, producing lubricant base oils

HOW WE TRANSPORT IT
The facility has access to multiple major crude oil and product pipelines, which ship gasoline, diesel, kerosene and jet fuel to East Coast, Midwest, West Texas and the area. The refinery has two dock facilities (one in Port Arthur and the other in Port Neches, Texas approximately 10 miles from refinery) allowing for waterborne delivery of crude and products.

PRODUCTION CAPACITY
Daily capacities are:

Crude: 275,000 BPD processed
Gasoline: 130,000 BPD - regular and premium grades
Jet-A aviation fuel: 42,000 BPD
Low sulfur diesel: 52,000 BPD
Fuel grade coke: 3,000 tons per day

DOCK FACILITIES
Motiva's two dock facilities are located on the Sabine Lake/Intracoastal Waterway in Port Arthur and on the Neches River in Port Neches, Texas.

CONTACT PERSON
Verna Rutherford
External Affairs Manager
Phone: 409-989-7015
Fax: 409-989-7774
Mail to:Verna.Rutherford@motivaent.com

PHYSICAL ADDRESS
Motiva Enterprises LLC
2555 Savannah Avenue
P.O. Box 712
Port Arthur, TX 77641
Gate Phone: (409) 989-7544

WEBSITE
www.motivaenterprises.com/par
www.motivaportarthur.com

For more information about the Port Arthur Refinery, click here.

WHO IS MOTIVA?

2004-12-07T19:06:38Z

WHO IS MOTIVA?

Motiva Enterprises LLC is a joint venture between Saudi Refining Inc. and Shell Oil Company.

Motiva operates primarily in the Eastern and Southern US and includes Shell-branded and Texaco-branded gasoline stations, three refineries with a capacity of 690,000 barrels per day and a network of oil products terminals. Motiva was formed in 1998.

Shell Oil Company, including its consolidated companies and its share in equity companies, is one of America’s leading oil and natural gas producers, natural gas markers, gasoline marketers and petrochemical manufacturers.

Shell Oil is the leading oil and gas producer in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico and is a recognized pioneer in oil and gas exploration and production technology. Shell Oil Company is an affiliate of the Royal Dutch/Shell Group of Companies (NYSE: RD).

ACTIVE IN OUR COMMUNITY

2004-12-07T19:06:10Z

ACTIVE IN OUR COMMUNITY

As a major provider of jobs in the surrounding communities of Port Arthur and Beaumont, we feel it is our responsibility to play an active role in area activities. Whether it is having our employees reading to grade school children, or sponsoring local sports teams -- you can always trust that we are involved!

You may visit the "Links" section under 'Refinery Information' above to learn more about the Port Arthur area. Or, read on to find out more about some of the area activities that we are involved in.

The following are some examples of the Port Arthur Refinery's community involvement programs:

Motiva Sponsored Annual Golf Scramble raising over $700,000.00 in the thirteen year history of the event for the Southeast Texas Junior Achievement.
Port Arthur Industry & Community Leaders Advisory Group (PAIG) Summer Work & Scholarship efforts.
Annual donation of $10,000 to the Hughen Center.
United Board of Missions “Back to School Clothes Drive".
NAACP, Golden Triangle Minority Business Council, & MLK Fundraisers.
Sponsor of scholarship for Mexican Heritage Fundraisers.
Cavoilcade (annual celebration) - sponsor of 2 scholarships each year.
Sponsor of the Adventures of the Elements science project for PAISD.
Sponsor of Koalaty Kid reading program at Franklin Elementary / PAISD
Muscular Dystrophy Association
American Heart Association
March of Dimes WalkAmerica
Crimestoppers of Southeast Texas
Port Arthur and other local Chambers of Commerce
Participate in sponsoring the annual Adopt a Beach Clean-up Program
Actively support the Gulf Coast Health Center
Motiva Advisory Committee brings nearby residents into the refinery to keep them informed of our ongoing efforts to continuously improve our operations and provide a forum for airing any concerns they may have.
Gift of Life mammogram testing sponsorship for low income women
Christus St. Mary Hospital Foundation
Port Arthur Beautification Program
Prescription program for children

HSE Policy

2004-12-07T19:03:52Z

OUR BUSINESS PHILOSOPHY

2004-12-07T19:03:39Z

OUR BUSINESS PHILOSOPHY

We strive to be our best here at the Port Arthur Refinery. Our goals are to create high quality products at a reasonable price while maintaining a safe and healthy work environment. In order to better achieve our goals we have developed the following business philosophy:

To deliver products of proven high quality at fair prices and to serve our customers in such a manner as to earn their continuing respect, confidence and loyalty both before and after the sale.
To make the quality process an integral part of every phase of the company’s activity through an organizational structure which permits and encourages each employee to offer suggestions and actively participate in developing procedures to improve productivity while continuing to make all aspects of quality the single most important objective.
To encourage and nurture entrepreneurial action by rewarding initiative and innovation; to recognize the dignity of the individual by treating every person in the company with respect and courtesy; to provide opportunities for employees to develop and advance without discrimination to the utmost of their capabilities; to pay compensation which compares favorably with others in the industry; and to provide safe and efficient places to work.
To obey all laws and maintain the highest ethical and legal standards in the conduct of our business; to be honest and straight forward in all our dealings.
To conduct our operations with full regard for protection of the environment and the health of employees, our neighbors, and the general public; to comply with all applicable environmental laws and regulations in the handling and production of our products; and to cooperate and participate with government and industry in the development of effective environmental control program, laws and regulations.
To be a good corporate citizen and willingly assume our share of the responsibilities in communities where we operate through financial contributions as well as leadership participation on the part of managers and employees in worthwhile programs and projects; and to conduct our affairs in a capable and equitable manner.
To maintain free and open channels for the mutual exchange of information between management, partners, employees, retailers, customers and others having a proper interest in the affairs of the company; to work constructively toward securing public understanding and acceptance of the company’s policies and performance; to defend the company against unwarranted and unjustified criticism and attack; to support industry efforts to resolve mutual problems in the area of public affairs; to cooperate in other activities undertaken for the benefit of the industry as a whole provided any such activities do not involve anti-competitive or proprietary operating matters or infringe on the company’s independence.
To be financially sound and responsible; earn a fair return on invested capital; and, through inspired leadership and effective teamwork, maintain and improve productivity so as to be highly respected as a successful competitor in the petroleum industry.

PORT ARTHUR REFINERY HISTORY

2004-12-07T19:02:19Z

PORT ARTHUR REFINERY HISTORY

The Port Arthur Refinery was a direct by-product of the January 10, 1901, Lucas gusher and the resulting Spindletop oil boom at Beaumont. Storage tanks and a pump station were constructed at Garrison station near Spindletop with a pipeline completed in August 1902 to the present refinery site, which was on open prairie next to an old brickyard. The first product sold by The Texas Company (Texaco) in 1902 was Spindletop crude oil pumped from tanks at the refinery site to a barge at Port Arthur Terminal. Construction of the refinery began in December 1902. The first batch tar stills were fired up in April 1903. However, the refinery officially started with the first run on the new crude stills on November 13, 1903.

With the rapid decline in Spindletop production in late 1902 after the great September fire, the crude supply for the new refinery and the hopes of the fledgling company was in jeopardy. The Texas Company bet nearly their entire source of capital on a oil gusher that secretly blew in during a heavy rain storm at Sour Lake on the night of January 8, 1903. The discovery saved the company from early extinction. During the nearly three months it took the company to secure the rights to the secret oil field, they quickly sold contracts for crude oil at 60 cents a barrel. When the discovery was announced, crude prices dropped to 10 cents allowing the company to buy cheap oil to cover the contracts and pocket a nice profit to help fund its plans to construct a refinery at Port Arthur.

Over 200 companies sprang up from the Spindletop oil boom, but only a few were still in business 50 years later. Familiar local companies born of Spindletop black gold were the Gulf Oil Corp. (Chevron), Humble Oil & Refining Co. (later Exxon, then Exxon-Mobil), Sun Oil Co., and The Texas Company, with the latter being the last survivor. The Texas Company was renamed Texaco, Inc. in 1959. From modest beginnings in 1902 as The Texas Fuel Co., subsequent reorganization as The Texas Co., and the construction of its first refinery at Port Arthur, an international major oil company was born.

TIMELINE:

1901 Spindletop oil discovery
1903 Port Arthur Refinery begins operation as Texaco’s first refinery
1906 Port Neches Asphalt refinery was returned to asphalt production
1909 Grease and lube oil processing was added as well as a canning plant
1920’s HMVS batteries constructed for gasoline and higher yields
1930’s Packaging and shipping facilities were expanded
1940’s and 1950’s Expansion of gasoline and lube processing facilities
1960’s Crude and cracking capacity expanded
1970’s Crude capacity increased
1980’s Crude capacity reached over 400 MBPD
mid-1980’s Refinery was streamlined and crude running reduced dramatically
1989 Star Enterprise was formed between TRMI and SRI
1990’s Numerous environmental programs were put into affect
1998 Motiva Enterprises was formed by Texaco, Shell, and SRI and a new state-of-the-art lube processing unit was brought on-stream
2002 Motiva Enterprises became equally owned by Shell and SRI
early 2003 New low sulfur gasoline unit was started

In the first decade, the refinery added facilities to produce asphalt, grease, and lube oil. Metal cans were made at the Port Arthur Terminal (The Island) and filled with lube oil and grease manufactured at the refinery. Wooden boxes were made to safely transport cans filled with oil products and shipped to all parts of the world. Markets were quickly developed in the Far East, Europe, Middle East, and Africa. The growing demand brought a large expansion of the refinery.

The growing gasoline demand during the 1920’s was supplied by the Holmes-Manley cracking process developed at Port Arthur Refinery by the Refining Manager and General Superintendent. A total of 72 HMVS batteries were constructed from 1919 to 1927. The refinery became a first class lube oil refinery in the late 1930’s and 1940’s with the addition of furfural refining and solvent dewaxing. Gasoline for the war effort and after World War II brought another great expansion. New fluidized catalytic cracking units (FCCU) and alkylation units were constructed followed in the 1950’s by three reforming units to product 100 octane gasoline. The refinery employed over 5000 people. In the 1970’s crude capacity was increased to 405 MBPD.

With product demand nearly flat during the 1970’s and 1980’s, the growth in the oil industry resulted in an oversupply with the resultant narrowing of margins. A tremendous rationalization of the oil industry took place in the mid-1980’s. Management seriously considered closing Port Arthur Refinery. The President of Texaco, Jim Kinnear, thought the refinery could be saved and he gave plant manager Lee Townsend a chance to turn things around. Many old units were shut down and employees laid off in an effort to streamline the refinery and return it to profitability. That time was difficult, but it did eventually provide a stable work environment for the remaining employees.

On January 1, 1989, Saudi Refining, Inc. purchased 50% of Port Arthur refinery as part of a joint venture with Texaco known as Star Enterprise. It included two other Texaco refineries in Convent, Louisiana and Delaware City, Delaware and all of Texaco's marketing in the southeastern U. S. On July 1, 1998, a joint venture was formed between Star Enterprise and Shell Oil Co. under the name Motiva Enterprises LLC. In 2001, Texaco was purchased by Chevron and its interest in Motiva was sold to Shell on February 13, 2002. Port Arthur Refinery is still operated as Motiva, which is now jointly owned by Shell and Saudi Refining.

Port Arthur Refinery has made great strides in the past two years to dramatically improve operational performance, environmental stewardship, employee safety, and refinery profitability. Motiva’s Port Arthur Refinery will continue to improve its standing as one of the preeminent Gulf Coast refineries well into the 21st century.

LINKS TO OTHER SITES

2004-12-07T18:59:15Z

LINKS TO OTHER SITES

Local Information

Port Arthur Information www.portarthurtexas.com
Port Arthur Texas Chamber of Commerce Website www.portarthurtexas.com
Galveston Tourism www.galvestontourism.com
Guide to Houston www.houston-guide.com
Houston’s Sidewalk Guide www.houston.sidewalk.com
City of Beaumont www.cityofbeaumont.com
Beaumont Enterprise www.beaumontenterprise.com
NASA’s Johnson Space Center www.jsc.nasa.gov
Lamar University www.lamar.edu
Port Arthur News www.panews.com

Business Links

Industry of the Golden Triangle www.industryofthegoldentriangle.com/
Saudi Aramco www.saudiaramco.com/bvsm/JSP/home.jsp
Shell International www.shell.com
Shell Oil Products US www.shelloilproductsus.com
Motiva Enterprises www.motivaenterprises.com

Emergency Links

Jefferson County Emergency Management Department http://co.jefferson.tx.us/em/em.htm
Jefferson County, TX www.co.jefferson.tx.us
Port Arthur Fire Department Website http://www.fire-ems.net/firedept/view/PortArthur2TX