Conoco Colorado

Conoco began in 1872 as the Continental Oil and Transportation Company and was one of the first businesses marketing petroleum in the American West. In order to increase the success of their business, refineries were developed on the West Coast to process crude.

In Commerce City, Colorado, two refineries were able to nearly 90,000 barrels of refined crude per day. The larger of these was owned by Conoco, which had a throughput production of 58,000 barrels daily. The ability to maintain this level of production was the result of consistent upgrades meant to improve the process and comply with environmental regulations.

More Than Just a Colorado Oil Refinery

Prior to the sale of the Commerce City refinery by Conoco (announced in 2002 as part of the company's merger with the Phillips Petroleum Company), a joint venture with Koch Industries was pursued in order to increase the output and commercial viability of the refinery. As a result, workers at the refinery also began producing asphalt products. In contrast, the area's second refinery produced fuel oils exclusively.

Employment Numbers

By the year 2000, Conoco employed more than 7,000 individuals at the company's Commerce City crude oil refinery. This number represented a slow but steady increase in employees from the year prior. At that time, Colorado was ranked in the top 10 states of the United States for crude oil production despite a decline of 10 percent from 1999 amounts - part of a trend that started in the late 1970s.

Oil Refineries and Asbestos

For most of the last century, the mineral called asbestos was used as a building material in cases where flames or extreme heat was a concern. Facilities such as Conoco's Commerce City refinery, therefore, were often built using materials containing asbestos. In addition to being heat-proof and non-flammable, certain forms of asbestos are also especially resistant to chemical reactions. Because of this, asbestos was used in coating materials, safety clothing and work surfaces. And while the asbestos served its purpose well in safeguarding against the spread of fire and in protecting lives from extreme temperatures, the mineral also exposed people who used it or worked around it to serious health risks.

Much of this asbestos was the form called amosite. When it is mixed with chrysotile, which is impervious to heat and bases but not as resistant to acidic compounds, the amphibole amosite creates products that are particularly good at preventing damage from corrosive chemicals. Although it was outlawed as a construction material in the 1970s, this amosite, in the form of asbestos-containing transite, was utilized for decades in chemical plants and laboratories throughout the United States.

Asbestos transite displayed qualities similar to cement; it could be sprayed onto ductwork and pipes, molded into working surfaces and laminated. This form of asbestos did not pose a health hazard as long as it remained solid. As transite with asbestos containing material (ACM) gets older and become prone to crumbling, however, deadly, tiny fibers are able to float into the atmosphere. In other words, such asbestos is friable, which means easy to crush. Also, laboratory and chemical plant ovens almost always contained friable asbestos in insulation linings.

Why Friable Asbestos Is Bad

Friable asbestos is a problem because in this condition the fibers are readily released in the environment. Inhaling asbestos particles can cause conditions like cancer or asbestosis. Mesothelioma, a rare and frequently deadly cancer of the mesothelium (the tissue that lies between the lungs and the chest cavity), has been shown to be linked with asbestos exposure. Pericardial and peritoneal mesothelioma are caused by ingesting fibers of asbestos, which is likely if microscopic particles become airborne and settle on food or in drinks.

Since scientific inquiry resulted in increased understanding of the risks of asbestos exposure, people today benefit from the protection offered by stringent laws regulating the use of asbestos. When places like Conoco's Commerce City refinery were first operating, however, asbestos was much more prevalent. And in too many cases people used asbestos-containing materials without the protection of respirators.

The Hidden Hazard of Asbestos

In contrast to most workplace injuries, which are easily observed and known about soon after the incident, asbestos-related illnesses may take many, many years to develop. The symptoms of mesothelioma and asbestosis - breathlessness and a persistent cough - can often be mistaken for those of other conditions. People who worked at or spent much time around sites like Conoco's Commerce City refinery should ask their doctors for mesothelioma information. Such information can help physicians to make accurate diagnoses; especially with mesothelioma, the earlier it is caught, the higher the odds of surviving or at least of enjoying an improved quality of life utilizing treatments like mesothelioma surgery when available.

Sources

Colorado Petroleum Association - Website
http://www.coloradopetroleumassociation.org/facts.htm

ConocoPhillips - About ConocoPhillips
http://www.conocophillips.com/EN/about/who_we_are/Pages/index.aspx

ConocoPhillips - US Refining Industry
http://www.conocophillips.com/EN/about/worldwide_ops/country/north_america/pages/west.aspx

University of Wisconsin - Asbestos Containing Material (ACM) - Laboratories and Shops
http://www.uwm.edu/Dept/EHSRM/ASB/acmimages3.html

University of Wisconsin - Asbestos Disposal
http://www.uwm.edu/Dept/EHSRM/HAZEXCEPTIONS/a.html