When the solar units Friday night time over the Texaco refinery on the west financial institution of the Arkansas River, some people on this fabled oil metropolis could surprise if it can ever rise once more.

That sunset will mark the end of a colorful chapter in Tulsa history. Working constantly since 1910, the West Tulsa refinery will stop operations completely.

There are not any circumstances below which Texaco Inc. will ever reopen the plant, a company spokesman in Chicago said as remaining layoffs approach.

Only fifty two workers stay on the job this week, the remnants of 380 employees who manned the plant when its destiny was announced final February.

The tanks, towers, bridgeworks and buildings sprawling over 466 acres of riverbank west of downtown Tulsa be part of a protracted record of inland America refineries being closed by market circumstances.

They had been doomed by a an overabundance of refining capability, lowered demand for gasoline and decrease fuel prices. Solely these large refineries near port cities, where tankers perpetually unload crude oil, or the more trendy plants convenient to domestic supplies seem destined to survive a brand new age of smaller fuel-environment friendly vehicles.

Then recognized because the Texas Co., Texaco purchased land for the West Tulsa plant in 1906, intending it to be used for a tank farm and pumping station. Discovery of the Glenpool Area changed these plans.

Brought in in 1905, the southwest Tulsa County and jap Creek County discipline produced 15 million to 20 million barrels a yr between 1907 and 1914. Texas Co. turned its newly-acreage into its fourth refinery as an alternative. From the beginning, it produced house heating oil and kerosene, products early statehood Oklahoma demanded. As automobiles became in style, the plant was modified to supply motor fuels.

Many changes have been made by way of the years to accommodate the airplane and cars using leaded gas. In 1949, equipment was completely changed.

Once more, 10 years later, newer equipment was put in, and in 1972, the plant underwent a $30 million modernization in the expectation it can be operating for decades to come.

However dramatic changes of the past a number of years, not seen when the plans were cast, settled the plant’s fate, a Texaco spokesman said.

“Though it has been continually upgraded to accommodate newer products, it’s just not a modern, environment friendly facility,” Texaco spokesman Paul Weeditz stated.

“If we had the demand of two years in the past, we could proceed to operate West Tulsa. However with the business’s overcapacity, we will supply any space extra economically.”

Operating at capability, which the plant hadn’t completed for a few years, West Tulsa processed 50,000 barrels of crude oil every day, the supplies coming from Oklahoma, West Texas and New Mexico. The crude was refined into gasoline, distillate and aviation fuels.

The refinery has been up for sale before Texaco announced its mothballing last Feb. 10. Still no patrons. But there is little demand for used refinery equipment on as we speak’s market. Texaco is also closing its Casper, Wyo., refinery and shut down its Lockport, Sick., plant 18 months in the past.

Bartlesville-based Phillips Petroleum padlocked its Kansas City, Kan., refinery final Sunday. In that shutdown, 206 employees accepted transfers elsewhere within Phillips and a few took early retirement.

Phillips is working to position others in jobs inside and out of doors the company. Spokesman Dave Dryden stated it isn’t known yet how lots of the 730 staff lastly will likely be “laid off.”

At the very least one Oklahoma refinery has a keep of closure. The previous OKC Corp. plant in Okmulgee, bought a yr and a half ago by the now-bankrupt Basin Refinery of Dallas, had been operated by CKB & Associates of Dallas until June 30, when about one hundred workers had been laid off as a result of CKB’s lease expired. The CKB lease was renewed July 1 for a 12 months, a Dallas attorney for the OKC Liquidating Trust said.. The plant is expected to reopen Sept. 1. Solely a skeleton crew keeps it in working situation till then. The plant is one in every of Okmulgee’s largest employers.

The refinery produces jet aviation gasoline, gasoline and other products.

At West Tulsa, the plant quit accepting crude oil final June 22. Some 75 employees took early retirement, 43 transferred elsewhere with Texaco, 32 left the corporate and 170 have been laid off. The ultimate layoff whole is predicted to be about 200.

After Friday, two Texaco employees will stay on the plant on a caretaker foundation, along with a contract security pressure.

Texaco will not say how a lot it should cost for the refinery to take a seat abandoned on the Arkansas River. But the company will continue paying an annual property tax invoice that came to $339,734 final yr.

Finally, the equipment might be cannibalized for other company refineries or sold. Texaco says it is too early to speculate about its fate. The Lockhart, In poor health., plant stays intact and remains to be on the market after 18 months. It seems doubtless West Tulsa will stay on industrial brokers’ rosters for a very long time.