Amoco / Standard Oil of Indiana in Virginia — Yorktown Refinery

The Yorktown Refinery (York County VA, on the York River) was built by Amoco (then Standard Oil Company of Indiana) in the mid-1950s as an East Coast / Mid-Atlantic refining foothold, running crude through atmospheric and vacuum distillation, catalytic cracking, reforming, and finishing units to produce gasoline, distillates, jet fuel, and asphalt for the Mid-Atlantic market. The refinery allegedly employed several hundred OCAW / USW operations workers plus a rotating contractor building-trades workforce throughout the asbestos era. BP (which acquired Amoco in 1998) sold the Yorktown refinery to Giant Industries in 2002; Western Refining and Plains All American later held the site, which was ultimately shut down as an operating refinery and converted to terminal operations. The Yorktown crude-and-products dock on the York River operated in parallel with the refinery throughout its life.

Premises ACM Narrative

Plaintiffs alleged in publicly filed U.S. asbestos personal-injury and wrongful-death litigation that the Amoco Yorktown VA refinery premises allegedly involved:

  • Asbestos pipe covering on crude, vacuum, catalytic-cracker, reformer, hydrotreater, and utility piping throughout the refinery
  • Asbestos-block insulation on distillation columns, heat exchangers, reactors, and process vessels
  • Asbestos-sheet gaskets and rope packing at flanges, valve stems, and pump seals throughout process units
  • Asbestos refractory on cat-cracker regenerators, process heaters, and boiler-house steam generators
  • Asbestos-lagging on turbine drivers and steam-turbine-driven pumps and compressors
  • Asbestos-cement transite panels and roofing on process-unit structures and utility buildings
  • Asbestos-fabric welding blankets and PPE handled during turnaround work
  • Asbestos-containing brake friction on refinery vehicles and shop equipment

Workers Exposed

Plaintiffs allegedly included:

  • OCAW / USW refinery operators at Amoco Yorktown
  • UA pipefitters (Virginia Locals) on refinery turnarounds and capital projects
  • HFIAW insulators applying and removing pipe covering, block, and refractory
  • IBB boilermakers on process heaters, cat-cracker regenerators, and powerhouse boilers
  • IBEW electricians on refinery motor-control centers, switchgear, and dock electrical systems
  • Millwrights on pump, compressor, and rotating-equipment rebuilds
  • Longshoremen and dock trades on the York River crude-and-products dock
  • Outside contractor trades on Amoco Yorktown EPC and turnaround projects

If You Worked at the Amoco Yorktown Refinery

If you or a family member worked at the Amoco / Standard Oil of Indiana Yorktown Virginia refinery or dock before 1980 and have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, lung cancer, asbestosis, or another asbestos-related disease, you may have a legal claim.

Free, confidential case evaluation: Speak with O’Brien Law Firm — (314) 237-3332

Mesothelioma Resources for Virginia Workers

Refinery asbestos exposure like this is a leading cause of mesothelioma, often diagnosed decades later. If you or a family member worked here: