LAGO REFINERY IN THE '50's & '60's
SUBMITTED BY: JOE CARROLL

 

 

LEFT PHOTO - TAKEN FROM THE CAT CRACKER. LOOKING NORTH WEST, 1952

 

 

RIGHT PHOTO - LIGHT ENDS DEPARTMENT UNIT LOOKING TO THE SOUTH, 1952.

 

LEFT PHOTO - ALSO TAKEN FROM THE CAT CRACKER LOOKING TO THE NORTH EAST, 1952

RIGHT PHOTO - LOOKING SOUTH FROM ON TOP OF A TANK IN THE TANK FARM.  THE CAT CRACKER IS OBVIOUS, THE OTHER UNITS ARE THE ISOMERIZATION UNIT AND #10 CRUDE UNIT IN THE RIGHT BACKGROUND. 1952

THIS PHOTO LEFT, IS ALSO TAKEN FROM THE CAT CRACKER, LOOKING WEST.  #10 CRUDE UNIT IS THE FIRST UNIT IN THE PHOTOGRAPH, IT HAD BEEN COMPLETELY MODERNIZED A YEAR OR SO BEFORE THE PHOTOGRAPH WAS TAKEN.

THE PHOTO RIGHT IS TAKEN FROM THE CAT CRACKER IN 1952.  THIS PHOTO IS LOOKING NORTH EAST.  THE OLD WOODEN BUILDINGS ON THE LOWER RIGHT ARE OLD WORLD WAR II ARMY BARRACKS WHICH WERE LATER TURNED INTO BUILDINGS FOR THE APPRENTICE TRAINING PROGRAM.  ONE OF THE OLD BOQ's CAN ALSO BE SEEN IN THIS PHOTO, CENTER RIGHT.

PHOTO LEFT, TAKEN FROM THE TANK FARM IN 1952, LOOKING SOUTH.  THE FUEL GAS SCRUBBER IS DIRECTLY IN THE FRONT OF THE PHOTOGRAPH.  THIS UNIT IS PRIMARILY RESPONSIBLE FOR GETTING RID OF THAT HAZE THAT ONCE COVERED THE REFINERY FROM SULFUR IN THE GAS.

PHOTO RIGHT, FROM THE CAT CRACKER IN 1952 LOOKING NORTH EAST. ALL THESE UNITS WERE GONE OR MODIFIED BY THE TIME I WENT TO WORK IN THE REFINERY IN 1962.

 

PHOTO LEFT, AGAIN FROM THE CAT CRACKER IN 1952.  THIS IS THE FLARE THAT PRIMARILY SERVED THE CAT CRACKER.

 

PHOTO RIGHT, 1952, THE SPHEROID FIELD LOOKING WEST.  THE SPHEROID TANKS WERE GRADUALLY BEING REPLACED WITH CONVENTIONAL TANKS.

LAGO SAN NICHOLAAS HARBOR IN 1952.  TUG IN FOREGROUND, OCEAN GOING TANKER ON RIGHT AND LAKE TANKER ON LEFT.

PHOTO RIGHT, 1952, TANK FARM AND PIPELINES.

PHOTO LEFT, 1952, "TRANSFER PUMP HOUSE.  JOE CARROLL WORKED THERE DURING THE FIRST STRIKE AT LAGO WHEN THOSE OVER 16 YEARS OF AGE WERE HIRED TO WORK DURING THE STRIKE..

 

 

PHOTO ABOVE, 1952, LOOKING SOUTHWEST FROM THE CAT CRACKER.  THIS IS THE "PITCH UNIT" IN THE FOREGROUND WHICH PRODUCED THE MATERIAL DEPOSITED AT THE PITCH PILE.  THE HARBOR IS IN HE BACK GROUND.

PHOTO LEFT, SHOWS THE OPERATORS INSIDE THE CAT CRACKER CONTROL ROOM.  SECOND FROM LEFT IS MARCO DONATA, CAN ANYONE IDENTIFY THE OTHER THREE?  THIS PHOTO WAS TAKEN IN THE LATE 50's OR EARLY 60's.

 

 

PHOTO RIGHT IS ANOTHER SHOT FROM THE CAT CRACKER TAKEN IN 1952 LOOKING NORTH WEST.  ALL THE UNITS TO THE RIGHT IN THE PHOTOGRAPH WERE GONE WHEN JOE WENT TO WORK IN THE REFINERY IN 1962.

 

 

CAN ANY ONE SUPPLY NAME OF ANY OF THE MEN ABOVE?

 

PHOTO LEFT, TAKEN IN 1952 FROM BUNGALOW 519.  THAT IS THE ALKYLATION UNIT FLARE GOING STRONG.

 

 

 

 

PHOTO ABOVE, TAKEN FROM THE ESSO CLUB IN 1952, YOU CAN SEE THE HAZE CAUSED BY BURNING HIGH SULFUR FUELS.

 

PHOTO LEFT, TAKEN IN THE LATE 60's OR EARLY 70's FROM THE MAIN REFINERY ROAD.  THAT IS THE CAT CRACKER BEING DISMANTLED.

 

 

PHOTO ABOVE, LOOKING WEST FROM MAIN REFINERY ROAD, PROBABLY TAKEN IN LATE 60's OR EARLY 70's.  STILLS 5 THRU 8 HAVE BEEN HEAVILY MODIFIED.

 

PART OF THE HARBOR LOOKING WEST, PROBABLY TAKEN IN THE LATE 60's.  NOTE HOW MUCH LARGER THE TANKERS HAVE BECOME.

 

 

 

 

PHOTO RIGHT, TAKEN IN 1951 SHOWING THE CAT CRACKER WHEN THEY BEGAN TO LIGHT IT AS A CHRISTMAS TREE FOR THE HOLIDAY SEASON.

JOE, THANKS FOR SOME WONDERFUL PHOTOGRAPHS.

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