In the 1950s, the Odessa Petrochemical Complex was the largest of its kind in the world. The first business to occupy the future complex was the Odessa Natural Gasoline Company founded in 1946 by four west Texas businessmen: W.D. Noel, E.G. Rodman, M.H. McWhirter and J.B Tubb. The aim of these oilmen was to find profitable and efficient applications for the vast quantities of natural gas wasted during the oil refinery process. Natural gas proved useful for the production of certain petrochemicals like butadine and styrene, key ingredients for synthetic rubber. The Odessa Chamber of Commerce proved eager to expand its economy, and looked to Noel and Rodman to boost prospects of the town. The chamber sanctioned the construction of a butadiene plant in 1956, followed by a Dynagen/General Tire plant in 1957 and a styrene plant in 1958. The El Paso Products Company, a joint venture between the West Texas Gathering Company and El Paso Natural Gas, built a facility and supplied the butadine and styrene plants with natural gas. This plant ultimately grew to be an anchor for the complex. Additional companies and plants joined the complex including Shell Oil, Rexene, American Cryogenics, South West Cryogenics and Beaunit Corporation. These companies produced petrochemical products used in a diverse array of residential and industrial contexts. The Odessa Petrochemical Complex fostered the growth of the American petroleum industry which, in turn, facilitated the subsequent expansion of Odessa. (2015)
Odessa Petrochemical Complex
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Odessa Petrochemical Complex is a historical marker in Odessa, Ector County, dedicated in 2015. It is one of 37 historical markers documented in Ector County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 39 historic sites cataloged across the county.
The site sits at 31.8501, -102.3706 near Odessa. The nearest cataloged historic site is Earl George Rodman, Sr. and William Douglas Noel (historical marker), about under a tenth of a mile away. Others within a short drive include Waddell Pecan Tree, Ector County Courthouse, and Ector County Land Rush.
This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5507018244. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.
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