Ultramar
Encyclopedia
Ultramar is a Canadian oil
refining
and marketing
company formerly known as Golden Eagle or Aigle d'or. Its head office is in Montreal
. It is a subsidiary of Valero Energy Corporation, an American company that acquired Ultramar's former parent company, Ultramar Diamond Shamrock.
The Company was formed by Ultramar plc
, a British
Group, who established operations in Canada
in 1961. Its refinery
in Lévis
, Quebec
was built ten years later.
From 1979 to 1996, Ultramar grew by acquiring stations from several other companies, including Canadian Fuel Marketers, Texaco
Canada, Gulf Oil
, Sergaz
, Sunoco
and Spur
.
In 1981, Ultramar acquired Hanford, California
-based Beacon Oil Company. It retained the name.
In 1990 it acquired the Dartmouth, Nova Scotia
refinery with the purchase of other assets of Texaco
Canada.
In 1991 Lasmo
, a British
oil company, bought Ultramar plc and in 1992 LASMO spun off the North American refining and marketing operations which became known as Ultramar Corporation.
In 1994
, Ultramar acquired Sergaz
and Sunoco's Quebec gas stations. Some gas stations still operate under Sergaz.
In 1996 ,Ultramar Corporation merged with Diamond Shamrock to form Ultramar Diamond Shamrock.
In 1997
, the Sunoco name was withdrawn from Quebec
, and all stations converted to the Ultramar brand.
The refinery in Lévis
was renamed in honour of retired Ultramar Diamond Shamrock CEO Jean Gaulin in 2001.
On 31 December 2001 Valero Energy Corporation completed its acquisition of Ultramar Diamond Shamrock.
Ultramar is also active in industrial sales and wholesale supply.
s, 87 truck stop facilities and 169,000 home heating oil
customers.
It directly employs 3,600 people and indirectly employs 10,000. The refinery in Lévis produces 265,000 barrels (or 41.5 million litres) per day.
Oil
An oil is any substance that is liquid at ambient temperatures and does not mix with water but may mix with other oils and organic solvents. This general definition includes vegetable oils, volatile essential oils, petrochemical oils, and synthetic oils....
refining
Refining
Refining is the process of purification of a substance or a form. The term is usually used of a natural resource that is almost in a usable form, but which is more useful in its pure form. For instance, most types of natural petroleum will burn straight from the ground, but it will burn poorly...
and marketing
Marketing
Marketing is the process used to determine what products or services may be of interest to customers, and the strategy to use in sales, communications and business development. It generates the strategy that underlies sales techniques, business communication, and business developments...
company formerly known as Golden Eagle or Aigle d'or. Its head office is in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
. It is a subsidiary of Valero Energy Corporation, an American company that acquired Ultramar's former parent company, Ultramar Diamond Shamrock.
History
Ultramar plc
Ultramar plc was a leading British oil and gas exploration and production business. It was listed on the London Stock Exchange and was a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index.-History:...
, a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Group, who established operations in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
in 1961. Its refinery
Refinery
A refinery is a production facility composed of a group of chemical engineering unit processes and unit operations refining certain materials or converting raw material into products of value.-Types of refineries:Different types of refineries are as follows:...
in Lévis
Lévis, Quebec
Lévis is a city in eastern Quebec, Canada. It is located on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River, opposite Quebec City. A ferry links Old Quebec with Old Lévis, and two bridges, the Quebec Bridge and the Pierre Laporte Bridge, connect western Lévis with Quebec City. The Société de transport de...
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
was built ten years later.
From 1979 to 1996, Ultramar grew by acquiring stations from several other companies, including Canadian Fuel Marketers, Texaco
Texaco
Texaco is the name of an American oil retail brand. Its flagship product is its fuel "Texaco with Techron". It also owns the Havoline motor oil brand....
Canada, Gulf Oil
Gulf Oil
Gulf Oil was a major global oil company from the 1900s to the 1980s. The eighth-largest American manufacturing company in 1941 and the ninth-largest in 1979, Gulf Oil was one of the so-called Seven Sisters oil companies...
, Sergaz
Sergaz
Sergaz was an Canada-based oil company founded in 1971 by André Ducharme. It was acquired by Ultramar in 1994. Most of its gas stations were closed....
, Sunoco
Sunoco
Sunoco Inc. is an American petroleum and petrochemical manufacturer headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, formerly known as Sun Company Inc. and Sun Oil Co. ....
and Spur
Murphy Oil
Murphy Oil Corporation is an international oil and gas company, founded in 1944 as C.H. Murphy & Co by Charle H Murphy Sr., that conducts business through various operating subsidiaries. Murphy produces oil and/or natural gas in the United States, Canada, Malaysia, the United Kingdom and Republic...
.
In 1981, Ultramar acquired Hanford, California
Hanford, California
Hanford is an important commercial and cultural center in the south central San Joaquin Valley and is the county seat of Kings County, California. It is the principal city of the Hanford-Corcoran, California Metropolitan Statistical Area , which encompasses all of Kings County, including the cities...
-based Beacon Oil Company. It retained the name.
In 1990 it acquired the Dartmouth, Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
refinery with the purchase of other assets of Texaco
Texaco
Texaco is the name of an American oil retail brand. Its flagship product is its fuel "Texaco with Techron". It also owns the Havoline motor oil brand....
Canada.
In 1991 Lasmo
Lasmo
Lasmo plc was a leading British oil and gas exploration and production business. It was listed on the London Stock Exchange and was a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index.-History:...
, a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
oil company, bought Ultramar plc and in 1992 LASMO spun off the North American refining and marketing operations which became known as Ultramar Corporation.
In 1994
1994 in Canada
Events from the year 1994 in Canada.-Incumbents:*Monarch: Elizabeth II*Governor General: Ray Hnatyshyn*Prime Minister: Jean Chrétien*Premier of Alberta: Ralph Klein*Premier of British Columbia: Mike Harcourt*Premier of Manitoba: Gary Filmon...
, Ultramar acquired Sergaz
Sergaz
Sergaz was an Canada-based oil company founded in 1971 by André Ducharme. It was acquired by Ultramar in 1994. Most of its gas stations were closed....
and Sunoco's Quebec gas stations. Some gas stations still operate under Sergaz.
In 1996 ,Ultramar Corporation merged with Diamond Shamrock to form Ultramar Diamond Shamrock.
In 1997
1997 in Canada
Events from the year 1997 in Canada.-Incumbents:*Monarch - Elizabeth II*Governor General - Roméo LeBlanc*Prime Minister - Jean Chrétien*Premier of Alberta - Ralph Klein*Premier of British Columbia - Glen Clark*Premier of Manitoba - Gary Filmon...
, the Sunoco name was withdrawn from Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, and all stations converted to the Ultramar brand.
The refinery in Lévis
Lévis, Quebec
Lévis is a city in eastern Quebec, Canada. It is located on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River, opposite Quebec City. A ferry links Old Quebec with Old Lévis, and two bridges, the Quebec Bridge and the Pierre Laporte Bridge, connect western Lévis with Quebec City. The Société de transport de...
was renamed in honour of retired Ultramar Diamond Shamrock CEO Jean Gaulin in 2001.
On 31 December 2001 Valero Energy Corporation completed its acquisition of Ultramar Diamond Shamrock.
Operations
The company has recently initiated a progressive "price matching" policy, wherein each participating station has its own competition area. Within these competition areas, each Ultramar gas station closely monitors its competitors' prices and matches them; Ultramar has been known to undercut their competition by as much as 3/10 of a cent per litre on occasion.Ultramar is also active in industrial sales and wholesale supply.
Statistics
Ultramar has 983 service stationFilling station
A filling station, also known as a fueling station, garage, gasbar , gas station , petrol bunk , petrol pump , petrol garage, petrol kiosk , petrol station "'servo"' in Australia or service station, is a facility which sells fuel and lubricants...
s, 87 truck stop facilities and 169,000 home heating oil
Heating oil
Heating oil, or oil heat, is a low viscosity, flammable liquid petroleum product used as a fuel for furnaces or boilers in buildings. Home heating oil is often abbreviated as HHO...
customers.
It directly employs 3,600 people and indirectly employs 10,000. The refinery in Lévis produces 265,000 barrels (or 41.5 million litres) per day.