Getty Oil / Skelly Oil in Oklahoma — Tulsa Refinery

Skelly Oil Company (founded 1919 in Tulsa Oklahoma by William Grove Skelly) built the Tulsa Refinery in the West Tulsa refinery corridor along the Arkansas River — a Mid-Continent refinery that operated continuously from the 1920s through the asbestos era producing gasoline, distillates, lubricants, and petrochemical feedstocks. Getty Oil Company acquired the majority interest in Skelly Oil in 1937 and completed the acquisition in 1977, folding Tulsa into Getty’s national refining system. Texaco acquired Getty in 1984; the Tulsa refinery ultimately passed through Sinclair/Holly successor operations. The historic Skelly office tower in downtown Tulsa remains a Tulsa landmark. Skelly also operated substantial mid-continent field operations and pipeline infrastructure administered from the Tulsa office.

Premises ACM Narrative

Plaintiffs alleged in publicly filed U.S. asbestos personal-injury and wrongful-death litigation that the Getty / Skelly Tulsa refinery premises allegedly involved:

  • Asbestos pipe covering on crude, vacuum, catalytic-cracker, reformer, and hydrotreater process piping across the refinery
  • Asbestos-block insulation on distillation columns, heat exchangers, and process vessels
  • Asbestos-sheet gaskets and rope packing at flanges, valve stems, and pump seals throughout process units
  • Asbestos refractory and insulation on process heaters, catalytic-cracker regenerators, and boiler-house steam generators
  • 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 Skelly / Getty Tulsa
  • UA pipefitters (Tulsa-area Locals) working 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 and switchgear
  • Millwrights on pump, compressor, and rotating-equipment rebuilds
  • Outside contractor trades on Skelly / Getty Tulsa EPC and turnaround projects

If You Worked at the Skelly / Getty Tulsa Refinery

If you or a family member worked at the Skelly Oil / Getty Oil Tulsa Oklahoma refinery or the West Tulsa refinery corridor 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) 237-7046

Mesothelioma Resources for Oklahoma Workers

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