© Philadelphia Year Book, 1917.
Atlantic Refining Company, c.1860
3144 Passyunk Avenue, Philadelphia PA 19143
© John Mayer,
Workshop of the
World (Oliver Evans Press, 1990).
Petroleum refining is one of
the most dominant industries in South Philadelphia.
Atlantic Refining Company began business in 1866 as a
storage facility but quickly expanded operations to
include refining as the possible uses of petroleum were
discovered. By 1882, Atlantic Refining's plant at Point
Breeze, was one of the largest refineries in the United
States; it employed 2,950 workers and producing over 100
million gallons of refined oil during that year.
1
In 1891,
Philadelphia was exporting 35% of all U.S. petroleum and
the Atlantic Refinery was producing nearly 50% of the
world's illuminating fuel.
© Philadelphia
Year Book, 1917.
Today, the
refinery covers 675 acres and includes approximately 5
million barrels of tankage. Its production capability is
130,000 barrels per day and the plant currently employees
500 people.
"Miss Ruth Gusick,
formerly a clerk in a drugstore, now works as a
garage attendant at one of the Atlantic Refining
Company garages." (1943) HAER
The refinery has been continuously modified over the
years. Initially the Atlantic Refining Company produced
gasoline, lubricating oils, waxes, solvents and other
petroleum-based substances. A major restructuring
occurred in 1971, when the plant began producing only
gasoline, industrial fuels, and asphalt. Major components
of the facility include a c.1958 hydro-cracker, a c.1979
fluid catalytic cracking unit, and a variety of
environmental controls, such as de-sulfurization and
sulphur recovery units. 2
1 Blodget, pp. 104-5.
2 Interview with Marty
Mader, Plant Manager, Atlantic Refining Company, November
16, 1989.
Update May
2007 (by
Joel Spivak):
No
change.
See
also:
© William Mátos,
compiler, Philadelphia,
Its Founding and Development, 1683-1908
(Philadelphia,
1908), pp. 318-319.