Republic Oil Refining Company
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Oil refining, Shipping |
| Founded | May 13, 1926 in Fort Worth, Texas, United States |
| Founder | Herbert D. McCracken |
| Defunct | April 1, 1957 |
| Headquarters | Fort Worth , United States |
Key people | Ovid D. Robinson (president), James Carne (vice president), William H. Moreland (secretary-treasurer) |
| Products | Refined oil products |
Republic Oil Sales Company was established on May 13, 1926, in Fort Worth, Texas by Herbert D. McCracken. In 1929, the Republic Oil Refining Company was formed in Pittsburgh at the Benedum-Trees Building, with Ovid D. Robinson serving as president. James Carne held the position of vice president, and William H. Moreland acted as secretary-treasurer. The firm maintained a field office initially in Houston, which was moved to Texas City, Texas in 1935, coinciding with the location of its refinery. By 1931, the refinery in Texas City had achieved a processing capacity of 35,000 barrels per day and possessed tank storage totaling 1,250,000 barrels. The company ceased operations on April 1, 1957.
Texas City disaster
On April 16, 1947, during the Texas City disaster at the Port of Texas City within Galveston Bay, Republic Oil experienced both structural damage and the loss of five employees. The company’s firefighting personnel played an active role in controlling the blaze triggered by the detonation of approximately 2,300 tons of ammonium nitrate aboard the French vessel SS Grandcamp.
Ships
Among the significant vessels owned by Republic Oil Refining were:
- Gold Creek, a 10,000-ton T2 tanker (T2-SE-A1) that ran aground near Gay Head.
- Minneapolis Husky, constructed in 1941 at Ingalls Decatur with a capacity of 16,000 barrels; it was renamed Republic in 1944, later changed to Clark in 1954, then to Limni in 1964 before being dismantled in 1973.
- Kawanee, a tanker built in 1919 and scrapped in 1945.
- Tugboats: Republic No. 1 and Republic No. 2, originally built as R.J. Gough in 1943 by Platzer Iron Works Company of Houston.
- Oil Barges: ROR 104, ROR 105, and ROR 106.
World War II
Throughout World War II, Republic Oil Refining managed a fleet of merchant vessels that supported the United States’ wartime logistics under the auspices of the United States Shipping Board. The company participated in charter shipping agreements with both the Maritime Commission and War Shipping Administration. While Republic Oil Refining crews operated these ships, Armed Guards from the U.S. Navy were assigned to handle deck armaments and communications equipment.