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Catlettsburg Refinery

Catlettsburg, Kentucky welcomed a fully functional oil refinery to the city in 1924 when a small plant that had been opened earlier that decade was purchased by Ashland Refining Company. Ashland Refining took over and immediately began work on a project to upgrade and develop the plant. The facility soon began to grow and collect larger amounts of oil to be distilled by oil processing units. Originally, the refinery was created to help supply oil and other petroleum based supplies to the military for their efforts in World War II, but it soon became a key supplier for the “Tri-State area” of Kentucky, Ohio and West Virginia.

This plant is currently run by the Marathon Petroleum Company, and has the daily ability to process up to 222,000 barrels of crude oil. Marathon has worked hard to develop the plant into a safe and environmentally friendly establishment. They have been recognized by several major environmental groups for their efforts, including the National Petrochemicals Refiners Association and the National Safety Council. In 2007, Marathon was given the KY EXCEL award for their policies, which are considered to be advantageous to the local environment.

Marathon has been proud of their recognition for being a safe and place to work that has a positive effect on the environment, but many years ago the Catlettsburg refinery had to deal with a major issue that affected the health of their employees and the local community. The threat came from products that included a material called asbestos, which was a common component for many industrial items at one time. Although it was once considered to be a very beneficial material, asbestos was later discovered to be toxic, and exposure to the material was found to cause respiratory damage and cancer. mesothelioma, a disease which has claimed the lives of thousands of people, is a common result of inhaling tiny particles of asbestos that were found in industrial work sites all across the nation. Every item that had even a trace amount of this hazardous material was removed from the plant and disposed of.

Since the removal of asbestos throughout the plant, the refinery has continued to grow and define itself as a major contributor to the local economy. In April of 2008, a fire within the facility posed a great danger to the facility, but on-site fire fighting crews were able to bring the blaze under control quickly. There were no injuries as a result of the fire, but it did cause enough damage to a gasoline producing unit that it had to be shut down for repairs. It is uncertain when the processor will be able to used again.

Last modified: December 09 2009.