Tulsa may no longer be the "Oil Capital of America," as it once claimed, but the energy industry continues to be a big part of the local economy.

Last week Sinclair Tulsa Refinery Co. broke ground on a $1 billion expansion of its west Tulsa refinery that promises to be a major economic boon for the area.

The expansion means that Sinclair, a name that goes back to the halcyon days of Tulsa's oil and gas industry, will be able to increase refinery output by 60 percent, most of that in diesel fuel production. Gasoline production will increase by 22 percent.

New clean-air technology, meanwhile, will significantly reduce emissions, even with the increased production. The company also will plant 190 trees and triple the area that it leases to the River Parks for public use on the west bank of the Arkansas River.

The project will require 4 million man-hours of labor, and employ 2,500 workers, a great many of them from the Tulsa area. Sinclair already has placed or expects to place $150 million in orders from Tulsa-area businesses. After the expansion is completed in 2010,

Sinclair will add 200 long-term, permanent jobs.

From every perspective, the Sinclair expansion is a good deal for Tulsa.

Copyright (c) 2008, Tulsa World, Okla. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

Related Project
Tulsa Refinery
Facility Type: Refinery Owner: Sinclair Oil Corp.
Scope: Expansion Location: Tulsa, OK United States