Marathon

[y_p_w]

Just wondering more about the brand. I don't remember much about the brand in my area ever. About the only reason I remember was that my dad somehow got a Zippo tape measure with the Marathon logo years ago, but of course that was lost a long time ago. Strangely enough I found a picture of one.

Marathon bought out the old Shell/Equilon refinery in Martinez, California even though they never had a presence around here. Now that was Shell's first American refinery and had been around for over a century. But once I was headed to Martinez and saw a Marathon gas station. Seemed a bit odd since it's the only one anywhere around here. Strike that - I looked at their locator and there are actually several although clearly just a sprinkle here and there.

 

[Barkleymut]

Still a couple of Marathon stations around here

 

[Barkleymut]

actually, quite a few https://www.marathonbrand.com/Stations/Station_Locator/

 

[MrHorspwer]

Marathon acquired Andeavor, who previously owned the refinery. Andeavor also owned the SuperAmerica brand and, up until recently, Marathon owned Speedway. At the time of the Andeavor acquisition, Marathon rebanded all the SuperAmerica stores as Speedway. Marathon also owns ARCO.

Even though you may not see many Marathon stations in the Bay Area, there's still plenty of stations pumping their petrol.

 

[atikovi]

I thought it was mascara,

 

[wemay]

Lots around here. Clean, well run stores offering Top Tier.

 

[MasterSolenoid]

I thought this would be about running in a Marathon.

I did a triathlon once, most tiring thing I ever did.
I had to walk from where they swim over to where they start jogging.
And then I had to walk over to where they get their bicycles.
Ahhh, I was so tired.

I'm don't mean to hijack the thread, but that's a joke.

 

[Kira]

I'd love to know the horse trading which goes on among oil companies, refineries, pipeline operators, the real estate they lease/redesign/update and the territories they 'share'.

 

[y_p_w]

I'd love to know the horse trading which goes on among oil companies, refineries, pipeline operators, the real estate they lease/redesign/update and the territories they 'share'.

It's mostly commodity trading. With this refinery gone from Shell's portfolio last year, Shell doesn't even have a single refinery in California. They do have their own massive distribution facility (which was a former refinery) in Southern California, which I'm sure gets its fuel through all sorts of commodity trading.

About Carson

Shell Carson Distribution Complex was originally built in 1924 as a refinery, which was 44 years before the City of Carson was established.

www.shell.us

 

[y_p_w]

Just wanted to clarify that I got the previous ownership of the Shell Martinez refinery mixed up. The Shell Martinez refinery was sold to PBF Energy. What's now the Marathon Martinez refinery was the former Golden Eagle Refinery (Tesoro then Andeavor) where the entire company was acquired by Marathon.

 

[JohnnyG]

I started work out of the military for Ashland Oil (Kentucky). Years later they went into a JV with Marathon and became known as Marathon Ashland Petroleum. Marathon actually started out as a subsidiary of United States Steel! So the company expanded. SuperAmerica was originally an Ashland Station chain as well as Speedway (Later Speedway SA). Eventually Marathon aquired the whole shebang and is now known as Marthon Petroleum. Don't forget, this is only the refining and distribution part of the company, exploration and production is still Marathon Oil. (ticker MAP vs MRO)

The company was absolutely great to work for at the terminal level, and still offers a "Defined Benefit" package for retirees.
It's main focus is in the Midwest, so it's not surprising that only a few are in California. Marathon Oil is headquartered in Huston TX, but Marathon Petroleum is headquartered in Findley OH. I worked there for a short stint in 1999.

They operate refineries from Texas to Ashland KY to St Paul as well as others, but you can see the area that they focus on. They also ship product out of Tampa Bay, and use time on the Colonial Pipeline as well, going up into DC and VA.

The company has been great to me over the 28 years that I spent in the industry. Not like the stories you hear about Amazon and the like. They respect their employees and their products.

 

[y_p_w]

Their Martinez refinery is being turned into an operation solely geared for processing renewable fuels.

Marathon Petroleum to Proceed with Conversion of Martinez Refinery to Renewable Fuels Facility

www.marathonpetroleum.com

I'm not sure what the incentive would be other than to meet certain regulatory requirements. Maybe even get certain credits for it paid by other refining operations? I've heard that bio jet fuel has benefits for emissions reduction that are greater than the amount of said fuel being used.

 

[gregk24]

Funny you should post this. Just filled up at a Marathon yesterday in SC while away. We don't have those where we live.

 

[Sayjac]

Had a Marathon station not far from residence, always get my propane tanks filled there. Used to advertise and sell ethanol free 93 too. I say had because very recently noticed Marathon signs gone, just the name of his station on pumps and sign now. I asked employee filling tank about it, said now independent and can sell it for less. Noticed his gas price pretty much in line with where it was before, 'maybe' a little lower. I suspect his profit margin has increased with change to independent. Marathon stations comparatively rare around here.

 

[y_p_w]

I looked at the Marthon website and before one enters a zip code it shows roughly the number of stations in a region. In California it's less than 60. In the midwest it's over 5000.

 

[bullwinkle]

We have what seems like a gazillion of them here, almost all of them independently owned and operated. Very few American owned, almost all foreign operated. Not all bad, some of my best customers are Indian station operators.

 

[Wolf359]

I thought this would be about running in a Marathon.

I did a triathlon once, most tiring thing I ever did.
I had to walk from where they swim over to where they start jogging.
And then I had to walk over to where they get their bicycles.
Ahhh, I was so tired.

I'm don't mean to hijack the thread, but that's a joke.

Yeah, I thought this was about running marathons also. If it wasn't for the Queen of England wanting to see the marathon, it'd just be 25 miles instead of 26.2 miles. I think about that sometimes when I'm doing the last 1.2 miles, could already be finished at this point!