Ventura Refinery and Transmission
Thomas, Oklahoma is home to one oil refinery that is operated by a company called the Ventura Refining & Transmission, LLC. The company was formed in January of 2006 for the purpose of purchasing the refinery, which was closed at the time due to a lack of current ownership and sustaining hurricane damage.
Following the 2005 hurricane season, it appeared that the refinery in Thomas might be shut down permanently. The management of Ventura Refining and Transmission discovered a viable option to improve the facility itself, and produce even more barrels of oil than it had previously been able to. The refinery remained closed for 15 months while it was modernized and expanded, and finally reopened it to great success.
The refinery in Thomas was originally opened in 1981, under the ownership of the Oklahoma Refining Corporation. The plant was sold to Barrett Refining in 1996, and that company declared bankruptcy in 1999. This could have been the end of the plant, but when the Ventura Refining & Transmission, LLC., the refinery once again became a fully functioning facility. They currently process up to 14,000 barrels of crude oil per day.
Today the plant is known to be a clean and efficient work place, but when it first opened it came with a massive health related issue. Like many other oil refineries, products made from asbestos were in use throughout the facility. These products, such as gaskets and insulation materials, were utilized for their ability to withstand extremely high temperatures. That ability is one of the benefits of asbestos, however studies on the material came to prove that the material posed too great a risk to the health of anyone who got near it.
The problem starts when the products that are made with asbestos start to break apart. This releases small asbestos fibers into the atmosphere, where they are often unknowingly inhaled. The fibers can sit within a person's respiratory system for many years, and cause massive amounts of damage. Not only is asbestos able to bring about serious respiratory issues, it is a leading cause of a cancer known as mesothelioma, which can be a fatal disease. Individuals who have been exposed to asbestos should notify their healthcare practitioner about it, and go in for an examination when they are able to do so.
Last modified: December 09, 2009.
