Total Petrochemicals USA
Encyclopedia
Total Petrochemicals USA, Inc. is a subsidiary of Total S.A.
It engages in the production and marketing of petrochemical products. Its headquarters is the Total Plaza
in Downtown
Houston, Texas
.
owned the majority of the stock, but the American Harry A. Jackson, Jr. served as first president.
It purchased the small petroleum companies Panhandle Oil Company in 1956 and the American Liberty Company of Dallas in 1957, in order to begin actual operations In June 2000 Fina Oil & Chemical Co. was renamed Atofina Petrochemicals, Inc, and the headquarters moved to Houston Texas.
In 1963, the company acquired Cosden Petroleum Corporation and in 1968 Gulf Oil's Calumet City, Illinois
facilities to build polystyrene
plant. In 1973, it acquired the Port Arthur Refinery from BP
. In 1977, the company acquired
polystyrene plants in Orange, California
and Windsor, New Jersey
, and in 1984 the ARCO
's polypropylene plant in La Porte, Texas
.
In 1985, the company changed the name of American Petrofina Company of Texas, a wholly owned subsidiary of American Petrofina, Inc., to Fina Oil and Chemical Company. In 1991, the name was changed to FINA, Inc.
The La Porte Plant was expanded in 1995 becoming the largest single-site polypropylene plant in the world. In 1996, the other plant owned by FINA, the Carville Polystyrene Plant, was took this position after its expansion. In 1997 FINA formed a joint venture with BASF to build world's largest naphtha steam cracker facility, opened in 2001.
In 1998, FINA was merged with its parent company of Petrofina S.A. and in 1999 Petrofina merged with Total S.A.
. After the acquisition of Elf Acquitaine, the chemicals division of the company was named to ATOFINA Petrochemicals, Inc. On 1 October 2004, the name was changed to Total Petrochemicals USA, Inc.
The Total Petrochemicals USA headquarters is the Total Plaza
in Downtown
Houston, Texas
.
In early 2005 Total Petrochemicals USA signed a lease to occupy space in the Louisiana Place. In late 2005 Total Petrochemicals USA moved hundreds of employees into the building. The building's name changed from the Louisiana Plaza to the Total Plaza. The company signed a 15 year lease for 150000 square foot of space and had scheduled to relocate 250 employees by November 2005. It had an option for an additional 75000 square foot of space in the Total Plaza. The space that Total Petrochemicals USA moved into was previously occupied by the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Texas
(METRO), which planned to move into a new administration building in January 2005.
At one time Atofina's headquarters were in an area in Houston in proximity to George Bush Intercontinental Airport
and in proximity to the Greenspoint district. The lease to the former space was scheduled to expire in 2010, but the company had the right to cancel its lease in 2007. The firm, which occupied a similar amount of square footage in the previous office that it has in its current office, planned to sublease the space from 2005 to 2007.
Total S.A.
Total S.A. is a French multinational oil company and one of the six "Supermajor" oil companies in the world.Its businesses cover the entire oil and gas chain, from crude oil and natural gas exploration and production to power generation, transportation, refining, petroleum product marketing, and...
It engages in the production and marketing of petrochemical products. Its headquarters is the Total Plaza
Total Plaza
Total Plaza is a tower in Downtown Houston, Texas, one block away from the Allen Center complex. The building, managed by Brookfield Properties, opened in 1971...
in Downtown
Downtown Houston
Downtown Houston is the largest business district of Houston, Texas, United States. Downtown Houston, the city's central business district, contains the headquarters of many prominent companies. There is an extensive network of pedestrian tunnels and skywalks connecting the buildings of the district...
Houston, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
.
History
The company was incorporated in 1956 as American Petrofina, Inc., with $10 million capitalization, and with headquarters in Dallas. The Belgian parent company PetrofinaPetrofina
Petrofina was a Belgian oil company which merged with Total in 1999 to form TotalFina, but the name has now been changed back to Total after another merger...
owned the majority of the stock, but the American Harry A. Jackson, Jr. served as first president.
It purchased the small petroleum companies Panhandle Oil Company in 1956 and the American Liberty Company of Dallas in 1957, in order to begin actual operations In June 2000 Fina Oil & Chemical Co. was renamed Atofina Petrochemicals, Inc, and the headquarters moved to Houston Texas.
In 1963, the company acquired Cosden Petroleum Corporation and in 1968 Gulf Oil's Calumet City, Illinois
Calumet City, Illinois
Calumet City is a city in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 39,072 at the 2000 census. The ZIP code is 60409.Calumet City was founded in 1892 when the villages of Schrumville and Sobieski Park merged under the name of West Hammond, since it lies on the west side of the...
facilities to build polystyrene
Polystyrene
Polystyrene ) also known as Thermocole, abbreviated following ISO Standard PS, is an aromatic polymer made from the monomer styrene, a liquid hydrocarbon that is manufactured from petroleum by the chemical industry...
plant. In 1973, it acquired the Port Arthur Refinery from BP
BP
BP p.l.c. is a global oil and gas company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest energy company and fourth-largest company in the world measured by revenues and one of the six oil and gas "supermajors"...
. In 1977, the company acquired
polystyrene plants in Orange, California
Orange, California
Southern California is well-known for year-round pleasant weather: - On average, the warmest month is August. - The highest recorded temperature was in 1985. - On average, the coolest month is December. - The lowest recorded temperature was in 1950...
and Windsor, New Jersey
Windsor, New Jersey
Windsor is a small historic community and unincorporated area located within Robbinsville Township in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States. The area is served as United States Postal Service ZIP Code 08561...
, and in 1984 the ARCO
ARCO
Atlantic Richfield Company is an oil company with operations in the United States as well as in Indonesia, the North Sea, and the South China Sea. It has more than 1,300 gas stations in the western part of the United States. ARCO was originally formed by the merger of East Coast-based Atlantic...
's polypropylene plant in La Porte, Texas
La Porte, Texas
La Porte is a city in Harris County, Texas within the Bay Area of the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the city population was 31,880...
.
In 1985, the company changed the name of American Petrofina Company of Texas, a wholly owned subsidiary of American Petrofina, Inc., to Fina Oil and Chemical Company. In 1991, the name was changed to FINA, Inc.
The La Porte Plant was expanded in 1995 becoming the largest single-site polypropylene plant in the world. In 1996, the other plant owned by FINA, the Carville Polystyrene Plant, was took this position after its expansion. In 1997 FINA formed a joint venture with BASF to build world's largest naphtha steam cracker facility, opened in 2001.
In 1998, FINA was merged with its parent company of Petrofina S.A. and in 1999 Petrofina merged with Total S.A.
Total S.A.
Total S.A. is a French multinational oil company and one of the six "Supermajor" oil companies in the world.Its businesses cover the entire oil and gas chain, from crude oil and natural gas exploration and production to power generation, transportation, refining, petroleum product marketing, and...
. After the acquisition of Elf Acquitaine, the chemicals division of the company was named to ATOFINA Petrochemicals, Inc. On 1 October 2004, the name was changed to Total Petrochemicals USA, Inc.
Operations
The firm now employs over s: 3,665 employees, and has sales of $3.4 billion. It trades on the AMEX Stock Exchange.Headquarters
Total Plaza
Total Plaza is a tower in Downtown Houston, Texas, one block away from the Allen Center complex. The building, managed by Brookfield Properties, opened in 1971...
in Downtown
Downtown Houston
Downtown Houston is the largest business district of Houston, Texas, United States. Downtown Houston, the city's central business district, contains the headquarters of many prominent companies. There is an extensive network of pedestrian tunnels and skywalks connecting the buildings of the district...
Houston, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
.
In early 2005 Total Petrochemicals USA signed a lease to occupy space in the Louisiana Place. In late 2005 Total Petrochemicals USA moved hundreds of employees into the building. The building's name changed from the Louisiana Plaza to the Total Plaza. The company signed a 15 year lease for 150000 square foot of space and had scheduled to relocate 250 employees by November 2005. It had an option for an additional 75000 square foot of space in the Total Plaza. The space that Total Petrochemicals USA moved into was previously occupied by the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Texas
Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Texas
The Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County is a major public transportation agency based in Houston . It operates bus, light rail, future commuter rail, and paratransit service in the city as well as most of Harris County...
(METRO), which planned to move into a new administration building in January 2005.
At one time Atofina's headquarters were in an area in Houston in proximity to George Bush Intercontinental Airport
George Bush Intercontinental Airport
George Bush Intercontinental Airport, is a Class B international airport in Houston, Texas, serving the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area, the sixth-largest metropolitan area in the United States. Located north of Downtown Houston between Interstate 45 and U.S. Highway 59...
and in proximity to the Greenspoint district. The lease to the former space was scheduled to expire in 2010, but the company had the right to cancel its lease in 2007. The firm, which occupied a similar amount of square footage in the previous office that it has in its current office, planned to sublease the space from 2005 to 2007.