In 1935, Chevron opened a refinery in Burnaby and began selling branded fuel and lubricants in British Columbia and Alberta. The company opened the 2,000-barrel-per-day Stanovan Refinery in Burnaby in January 1936. During World War II, we increased our production and began supplying aviation fuel to Canada.
In 1954, Chevron produced an average of 11,000 barrels of oil per day. Production increased to 35,000 barrels per day in 1976. Major upgrades to the refinery's crude unit were completed in the 1980s, and in response to the growing demand for unleaded fuels, a new alkylation unit was built. A new effluent treatment plant was inaugurated in 1998 to improve the quality of the refinery's discharged water.
By 2001, the refinery's plant capacity had risen to 52,000 barrels per day. In 2005, a program to reduce sulfur oxide emissions was started in collaboration with air regulators and the local community. As part of the refinery's largest capital expenditure plan yet, a new cooling tower was commissioned. In 2008, the refinery's safety flaring system and critical electrical infrastructure were upgraded.
In 2009, the Burnaby Refinery and distribution terminal completed modifications required to meet new provincial biofuels regulations that came into effect in January 2010.
Texaco
Texaco® products have been sold in Canada for 50 years.
Beginning in 1989, Texaco marketing efforts in Canada concentrated on the sale of lubricants. In 2002, as a result of the Chevron-Texaco merger, the company became a national marketer of Texaco and Chevron® lubricants.
Exploring for Energy
Chevron drilled its first successful exploration wells in southern Alberta in 1939 and 1940 and began producing crude oil in 1941.
Field discoveries such as Princess, Acheson, Homeglen-Rimbey and Nevis in the 1940s and 1950s made Chevron known in the Canadian petroleum industry for our innovation and technical expertise. Next came the Mitsue and Kaybob discoveries in the 1960s, followed by Hibernia in 1979. The natural gas field in Fort Liard, Northwest Territories, was discovered in the 1990s.
In 2008, Chevron successfully led efforts to reach binding agreements with the government of Newfoundland and Labrador to enable the Hebron offshore heavy oil project to proceed.
In 2010, Chevron Canada Resources was named the Outstanding Philanthropist of the Year for Newfoundland and Labrador by the Newfoundland and Labrador Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, a prominent trade organization in that province.
In 2013, Chevron celebrated its 75th anniversary of upstream operations in Canada, marking a legacy of exploration success, innovation, growth and community support.
Updated: April 2013
Cautionary Statement