The 1920s, with its jazz bands, flappers, bootleggers and marathon dances, was also a time of economic prosperity across the country, including in the Ashland area. Many steel, brick, shoe and apparel companies were thriving in the region, and a horse racetrack in nearby Raceland and Camden Park just upriver in West Virginia provided entertainment. Streets were either paved or bricked during the “roaring” decade, and the population of Ashland nearly doubled.
This prosperous time included the beginning of the Catlettsburg refinery – a staple of our region’s economic base. A group of Pennsylvania oil men from the Great Eastern Refining Company built a small refinery at a train stop known as Leach on the outskirts of Catlettsburg in 1916. It produced red lubricating stock during World War I with a capacity of around 1,000 barrels a day.
Ashland Refining Company purchased the Catlettsburg refinery in 1924, and for many years, it was the core of Ashland Oil. Today, it is owned by Marathon Petroleum Corporation, which is celebrating the refinery’s 100th birthday in 2024. “As Catlettsburg Refinery celebrates 100 years, we continue to play a significant role providing refined products that consumers use every day,” said Jay Richert, Catlettsburg Refining’s general manager. “We are embedded in the community not only as a business but as also residents who take pride in our community partnerships.”
The Catlettsburg refinery processes sweet and sour crude oils into gasoline, distillates, asphalt, aromatics, propylene, heavy fuel oil and propane. Pipelines, barges, transport trucks and rail are used to distribute these products. Daily production now averages 300,000 barrels. The refinery has been a constant source of quality, high-paying jobs for our region, with approximately 750 Marathon operators, mechanics, engineers, utility operators and support staff working there today, plus an additional 1,000 contractors on site daily.
Debbie Keeney, lead human resource assistant, has worked at the refinery for 48 years. “I’ve seen many changes here at Catlettsburg, but the best part about my job are the friendships and interactions I’ve had with employees and their families over the years.”
Over the last century, the refinery has made many improvements to increase production and keep up with technology, said Sheila Fraley, community relations representative. “We’ve added more processing units and learned how to optimize technology.” A significant change occurred in 2015 when Marathon completed construction of a condensate splitter, increasing the refinery’s capacity to process condensate from the Utica Shale, a massive hydrocarbon-bearing formation deposited around 450 million years ago. It lies several thousand feet below portions of Ohio, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Maryland, New York, Tennessee, Virginia and a part of Canada.
Many other things have remained constant throughout the Catlettsburg refiner’s lifetime, including a commitment to the health and safety of employees, contractors and the local community. “Our top priority is making sure everyone goes home safe every day,” Richert said.
Fraley said the Catlettsburg refinery has “cutting-edge safety measures” and is recognized as an industry leader, adding that the Catlettsburg Refinery became a Certified Kentucky Voluntary Protection Partnership (VPP) Star site and was recertified in 2022. “At the same time, we are passionate stewards of the environment, engaged with multiple organizations to implement initiatives that protect our environment and inspire responsible practices for future generations,” Fraley said. Marathon Catlettsburg Refinery is certified by the Wildlife Habitat Council for its conservation efforts and ways it protects and preserves natural surroundings.
Supporting the community is another top priority of the Catlettsburg refinery. “We make it a priority to be actively involved in efforts that have a positive impact on the community,” Fraley said. In addition to environmental work, Marathon also invests in a variety of programs through financial contributions, volunteer hours and direct aid. These include back-to-school drives and food drives, assistance to local flood and tornado victims, support to local nonprofits like the United Way of Northeast Kentucky – which has received more than $1.5 million over the years from the Catlettsburg Refinery Golf Classic, sponsorship of events like the annual Young Women Leadership (YWL) conference for area high school-age girls, and hosting students at the company’s 340-acre Savage Branch Wildlife Reserve.
The refinery’s Community Advisory Panel, which includes fence line neighbors (Catlettsburg and Ceredo-Kenova) and other local industry representatives, meets every other month, as it’s been doing for the past 34 years. The refinery officially marked its 100th birthday with a Family Day Celebration on October 12. Employees and their families enjoyed refinery tours, games, interactive booths from all departments, commemorative items marking the 100-year milestone, and plenty of fair-style food and drink.
“Reaching 100 years is incredible. It shows the hard work and dedication of everyone here at the Catlettsburg refinery,” Richert said. “We’re excited about what’s next and how we’ll keep delivering safe and efficient energy to our community and beyond.”