Phillips 66: Bartlesville Technology Hub

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Conoco and Phillips 66 announced on November 18, 2001 that their boards of directors had unanimously approved a definitive agreement for a "merger of equals". The merged company, ConocoPhillips, became the third-largest integrated U.S. energy company based on market capitalization and oil and gas reserves and production. On November 11, 2011 ConocoPhillips announced that Phillips 66 would be the name of a new independent oil and gasoline refining and marketing firm, created as ConocoPhillips split into two companies. ConocoPhillips kept the current name of the company and concentrated on oil exploration and production side while Phillips 66 included refining, marketing, midstream, and chemical portions of the company. Photo: Hugh Pickens all rights reserved.

by Hugh Pickens, Ponca City Oklahoma

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The purpose of this report is to provide a comprehensive overview of Phillips 66 that documents and explains the company's business strategy and execution of that strategy.

Major Sections of this report on Phillips 66 include:

Safety, Environment, Legal <html>
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Corporate

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Strategic and Financial

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Business Segments

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Stock Market

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Reference

Refining Business Segment

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Increasing Profitability in Refining Business Segment

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Detailed Look at Ponca City Refinery

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Other Phillips Refineries

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Other Locations


Contents

Master Index of Articles about Phillips 66

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The 587 foot tall Mammoet PTC 140 crane, seen here from North First Street, towers over the Refinery Complex in Ponca City. The supercrane was used to move two new 232 ton coker reactor units within the refinery on September 29, 2013. Phillips was willing to invest $70 million in the two new coker reactor units because the Ponca City Refinery is one of the best run, safest, and most profitable of Phillips' fifteen worldwide refineries and Garland wants the refinery in Ponca City to continue to run smoothly and profitably. This photograph of the supercrane in Ponca City was taken from almost two miles away from the crane. Photo: Hugh Pickens All Rights Reserved.
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Hugh Pickens, an analyst who closely follows Phillips 66, speaks with Phillips CEO Greg Garland (right) about the disposition of the North Tower, South Tower, and Research West at Phillips' Ponca City Refinery after Garland's speech to the Bartlesville Chamber of Commerce on August 13, 2014.

by Hugh Pickens, Ponca City Oklahoma

<html>
</html>

The purpose of this report is to provide a comprehensive overview of Phillips 66 that documents and explains the company's business strategy and execution of that strategy.

Major Sections of this report on Phillips 66 include:

Safety, Environment, Legal <html>
</html>

Corporate

<html>
</html>

Strategic and Financial

<html>
</html>

Business Segments

<html>
</html>

Stock Market

<html>
</html>

Reference

Refining Business Segment

<html>
</html>

Increasing Profitability in Refining Business Segment

<html>
</html>

Detailed Look at Ponca City Refinery

<html>
</html>

Other Phillips Refineries

<html>
</html>

Other Locations


Bartlesville Technology Hub

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A sculpture of Phillips 66 in front of the Price Tower (designed by Frank Lloyd Wright) in Bartlesville, a city in NorthEast Oklahoma that was formerly the headquarters of Phillips Petroleum Company. "I picked this company because of Bartlesville," said Phillips 66 CEO Greg Garland. "Four times over the course of 32 years I've lived here. We have good memories of Bartlesville, Oklahoma, and it's always going to be a very special place to me personally." Bartlesville has the same pride in Frank Phillips and of its century-long oil heritage as Ponca City has of oil pioneer EW Marland.

August 13, 2017: Saving the Frank Phillips Home in Bartlesville

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Saving the Frank Phillips Home in Bartlesville. Serious budget cuts have forced the Oklahoma Historical Society to give up operation of the Frank Phillips Home, one of the state’s most significant historic homes but the Frank Phillips Foundation, owner and operator of Woolaroc, is taking over a lease on the historical home in Bartlesville and is actively working to fund an operating endowment to preserve it for future generations of Oklahomans. Photo: Jerry Poppenhouse.

The Tulsa World reported on August 13, 2017 that serious budget cuts have forced the Oklahoma Historical Society to give up operation of the Frank Phillips Home, one of the state’s most significant historic homes but the Frank Phillips Foundation, owner and operator of Woolaroc, is taking over a lease on the historical home in Bartlesville and is actively working to fund an operating endowment to preserve it for future generations of Oklahomans.

Bob Blackburn, director of the Oklahoma Historical Society, told the Tulsa World earlier this year that the group’s state funding has been slashed by more than 40 percent in the past eight years. Bartlesville officials were notified over a year ago that the Frank Phillips Home was one of the facilities that would need additional funding and support or it would be closed. The city of Bartlesville and Woolaroc worked out an agreement whereby Woolaroc would take over the operation of the facility. “It was a natural for us,” said Bob Fraser, director of Woolaroc.. “But, there were still quite a few details to work out, legally and financially, to make it work.”

According to the deed, if the Oklahoma Historical Society could no longer operate the facility, ownership was to be transferred to the city of Bartlesville. If the city was unable to operate the museum, the deed called for the demolition of the significant historical site. “That was about 18 months ago, and after talking with officials with the city of Bartlesville we were not going to let that happen under any circumstance,” said Bob Fraser, CEO of Woolaroc. “If we let that happen to the house, Frank would have come down from heaven and kicked our tails.”[1]

Fraser said bringing the Frank Phillips Home and Woolaroc together under the Frank Phillips Foundation ownership is a perfect fit. “We are excited about the possibility of bringing the Frank Phillips Home under our wing,” he said. “We knew with the issues in state funding that the future of the Oklahoma Historical Society’s ability to own and operate the home was in question. The Foundation is the right fit to carry on the legacy of Frank and Jane Phillips with both Woolaroc and the Frank Phillips Home.” Once all of the paperwork and agreements are decided by the Oklahoma Historical Society, the city of Bartlesville, the Frank Phillips Foundation, the heirs of the Phillips family and the court system, Fraser said the Foundation will have endowment funds available to preserve the historic home for generations to come. “The Oklahoma Historical Society has done a great job and it’s not easy preserving a 100-year-old home,” Fraser said. “We also have a vision to not only maintain this integral part of Bartlesville history, but to bring new life to it too.”[2]

July 27, 2017: EPA Director Scott Pruitt Visits Phillips 66 Research Facility in Bartlesville

Bartlesville Radio reported on July 27, 2017 that Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt visited Phillips 66 Research Facility in Bartlesville this week and talked to leaders there as part of Pruitt 's Back to Basics Agenda -- an effort he implemented to take the EPA back to its core mission. Pruitt says he sees Phillips 66 as making an effort to do the right thing, not just to meet a government mandate.[3]

July 8, 2017: Fake News Story Says Phillips 66 Will Close Bartlesville Research Center

The Bartlesville Examiner Enterprise reported on July 8, 2017 that Phillips 66 found itself in the center a fake news tsunami last week after a bogus story quoted the company’s CEO as saying the Bartlesville research center would be closed and demolished. The fake story looked real at first glance on Facebook. It looked like every other Facebook post. It included a photo, and was posted by channel45news.com. If you clicked on the link, the post takes you to channel45news.com and what appears to be a legitimate news story. The story announced plans to demolish the research center and build a new one in Dallas. “The newly vacant land will be used to research radioactive effects on crops grown for feeding livestock in local markets across Oklahoma and Southern Kansas. The research will provide valuable information on the effects of radioactivity and its effect on livestock used for food. When asked about the destination for the possibly radioactive fed animals the CEO could not at the time comment.”

Phillips 66 issued a statement refuting the hoax. “This story about demolishing the research center is a hoax. Phillips 66 only disseminates news throughout its owned media channels such as our website and social media accounts, and via press release distribution services and statements to legitimate news outlets.”[4]

June 13, 2017: Phillips 66 Celebrates 100th Anniversary on June 13

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Phillips 66 Celebrates 100th Anniversary on June 13. Phillips Petroleum Company was incorporated 100 years ago on June 13th, 1917 by brothers Lee Eldas "L.E." (left) and Frank Phillips of Bartlesville. Photo: ConocoPhillips

Bartlesville Radio reported on June 13, 2017 that Phillips Petroleum Company was incorporated 100 years ago on June 13th, 1917 by brothers Lee Eldas "L.E." and Frank Phillips of Bartlesville. Brothers Frank and L. E. (Lee Eldas) Phillips consolidated their companies and began operating with leases throughout Oklahoma and Kansas and assets of $3 million. Assets grew to $103 million by 1924.

By 1927 Phillips Petroleum began selling gasoline in Wichita, Kansas, the first of more than 10,000 service stations across the country. Phillips Petroleum became heavily involved in the natural gas industry immediately after the discovery of the Panhandle gas field of Texas and the Hugoton field in Kansas. Eight years after incorporation, Phillips was the largest producer of natural gas liquids in the United States. In 1927, Phillips started up its first petroleum refinery in Borger, Texas, designed to produce gasoline as an automotive fuel. It opened its first service station, to sell gasoline in Wichita in November of 1927. In 1930, the company developed its "Phillips 66" trademark.[5][6]

During a stop in St. Louis while en route back to Creston from Chicago in 1903, Phillips encountered C. B. Larabee, an old friend from Iowa. He was serving as a Methodist missionary to the Osage Indians west of Bartlesville in Indian Territory. The area, which is now Osage County, Oklahoma, was rich in oil. What proved to be a decades-long boom was just getting under way. Later that year, after Phillips and Gibson made two trips to Bartlesville, Phillips and his younger brother L.E. Phillips organized the Anchor Oil & Gas Company with Gibson's assistance.

Anchor opened an office in Bartlesville in 1905, secured a driller and drilled its first wildcat well, the Holland No. 1. The men struck oil on June 23, 1905. The brothers' second and third wells were dry holes, and they had barely enough money left to drill a fourth well, the Anna Anderson Number One. The Anna Anderson, completed September 6, 1905, was a gusher, and the successful well enabled the brothers to raise $100,000 through the sale of stock. The Anna Anderson was the first of 80 consecutive producing wells drilled for the brothers' company

Phillips once said to employees, to whom he was known as "Uncle Frank": "Work hard and demonstrate loyalty, and I'm a great guy to work for. Do neither, and there is no one worse." On another occasion, he said, "I am egotistical. I exercise the 'privilege and prestige of the office.' I'm bombastic, hard to get along with, an easy touch, a farm boy at heart, and conveniently hard of hearing. I'm just a sentimental old man. I'm tough. and I know it. I'm the boss, and don't let anybody try to question it."[7]

June 2, 2017: Phillips 66 Awards Scholarship to Ponca City Senior

The Ponca City News reported on June 2, 2017 that Zachary Pando, son of Phillips 66 employee Maurilio Pando, will receive a $16,000 college scholarship from the Phillips 66 Dependent Scholarship Program. The competitive program awards outstanding college-bound students whose parents work for Phillips 66 or one of its subsidiaries. The Phillips 66 Dependent Scholarship Program will annually award as many as 66 four-year scholarships of $16,000 each for higher education at any accredited institution.[8]

Refinery Manager Pete Stynes told the Ponca City Lions Club on October 10, 2012 that about 800 employees and contractors work at the refinery with the direct employment of 625 Phillips employees.[9]

May 26, 2017: Nine Bartlesville Area Seniors Win Phillips 66 Awards Scholarships

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Nine Bartlesville Area Seniors Win Phillips 66 Awards Scholarships. Photo: Bartlesville High School by Granger Meador Flickr Creative Commons

Bartlesville Radio reported on May 26, 2017 that nine Bartlesville area seniors received a $16,000 college scholarship from the Phillips 66 Dependent Scholarship Program: Samantha Coats, Kaitlyn Cole, Alexis Jergenson, Ashley Raatz, and Henry and Jack Williams who all attend Bartlesville High School plus three other students from the Bartlesville area: Katelynn Morgan from Oologah-Talala High School, Nathan Schaffner at Collinsville High School, and Kaleigh Townley of Barnsdall High School, won scholarships.[10][11]

Merl Lindstrom, vice president of technology for Phillips 66, told Bartlesville’s Daybreak Rotary Club on January 23, 2015 that approximately 1,750 Phillips 66 employees work out of the company’s offices in downtown Bartlesville and another 450 are based at the Research Center in west Bartlesville for a total of 2,200 Phillips 66 employees in Bartlesville.[12]

October 13, 2016: Phillips 66 Donates $250,000 to Bartlesville Girls and Boys Club

The Bartlesville Examiner Enterprise reported on October 13, 2016 that Phillips 66 is making a $250,000 donation to the Bartlesville Girls and Boys Club to help build the new C.J. “Pete” Silas Boys & Girls Club, which will replace the aging structure. The club plans to begin construction this fall with hopes of startings operations in the 2017-2018 school year. The state of the art facility will include a dedicated teen center, learning centers, gymnasium, technology and STEM lab, arts and music spaces, outdoor sporting courts, and an expanded kitchen to better accommodate the nutrition program. The Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation will partner with the Club construct the playing field. “It's giving back to the community, and the Boys and Girls Club is one of the great institutions and organizations (in Bartlesville),” said Phillips 66 CEO Greg Garland. “When you think back to Pete Silas, the former chairman of Phillips Petroleum, he was a great guy that was loved in the industry and a great leader for the company during some difficult times. No one ever questioned his ethics or integrity, and he's known for that.”[13]

October 12, 2016: Phillips 66 Makes Makes Multi-Million Dollar Investment in Bartlesville Research Center

Bartlesville Radio reported on October 12, 2016 that Phillips 66 joined Public Service Company and Dallas-based contractor, Brandt Companies as they broke ground on a new electrical substation at the Research Center. The substation is a multi-year, multi-million dollar investment in the Phillips Research Center.[14] According to Phillips 66 Vice President of Technology Merl Lindstrom, the new substation is part of a Infrastructure Upgrade Program following a study of the Phillips 66 Research Center to increase viability for continued use and growth long into the future. Phillips 66 Chairman/CEO Greg Garland said the new substation and infrastructure upgrades at the Research Center indicates the company’s continued presence in Bartlesville, from today through the future.[15]

September 19, 2016: Garland to Speak in Bartlesville on October 11

The Bartlesville Chamber of Commerce announced on September 19, 2016 that Phillips 66 CEO Greg Garland will speak to the chamber on October 11, 2016.

September 14, 2016: ConocoPhillips Chief Says Bartlesville Remains Vital for the Company's Success

The Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise reported on September 14, 2016 that ConocoPhillips Chairman/CEO Ryan Lance was in Bartlesville on September 14, 2016 for a Bartlesville Chamber of Commerce forum at City Church and said that Bartlesville operations of the company remain vital for future success. “(Bartlesville) is really the center, heart and soul of our company as well,” said Lance. “It’s been that way for 100 years. It’s really an important place.” Lance said while the company is streamlining many of its operations through cost-cutting, finding new efficiencies and employee reductions, ConocoPhillips Bartlesville operations will continue through the foreseeable future. “This is a functional excellence center for our company,” Lance said. “This is the place where we do all of our back office accounting and our (informational technology). We do that for the whole company out of Bartlesville. When we looked at it, it continues to be a place that is important for the company, it’s low-cost for the company. So it fits in where we are at, where we are trying to take the company.”

Over the course of his 30-plus year career, Lance said he has seen six downturns and five uptakes. Right now, Lance said, supply and inventory of crude oil is high, while demand is still soft, but the disparity is starting to even out. As a result, ConocoPhillips has lowered it’s break-even point for oil prices to $50 per barrel, while other producers are still counting on $60-$70 per barrel.[16]

September 12, 2016: ConocoPhillips Lays Off Another 90 Employees in Bartlesville After Previously Laying Off 170 in 2015

News6 reported on September 12, 20016 that ConocoPhillips has begun to lay off 90 employees in Bartlesville. ConocoPhillips employs 15,600 people worldwide with 1,400 employees in Bartlesville. The companywide layoffs amount to 6 percent of its workforce. "We expect to have approximately 90 workforce reductions in Bartlesville, which has around 1,400 employees," a company spokesperson based in Bartlesville said. The spokesman said there are no new reductions to report, but employees will be leaving the organization over the coming weeks as necessitated by each individual staff or business unit need.[17] The latest round of layoffs in Bartlesville come nearly one year after more cuts were made to the local workforce. In October 2015, ConocoPhillips reduced 10 percent of its workforce, including approximately 170 employees in Bartlesville. The spokesman could not confirm what areas of Bartlesville employees would be most affected. The majority of Bartlesville employess work in information technology, accounting and human resources for ConocoPhillips’ worldwide operations.[18]

In 2008 ConocoPhillips downsized their operation in Ponca City as about 700 office worker positions in Ponca City were relocated to Bartlesville or Houston. Most of ConocoPhillips' nonrefinery jobs in Ponca City were focused in the credit card, information technology, facilities and other support operations.[19]

September 2, 2016: Osage Nation Sends Support to Standing Rock Sioux Protesting Phillips 66 Funded Dakota Access Pipeline

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Osage Nation Sends Support to Standing Rock Sioux Protesting Phillips 66 Funded Dakota Access Pipeline. “The Osage Nation supports the people of Standing Rock who are protecting the land and waters,” said Osage Nation Principal Chief Geoffrey M. Standing Bear of the situation. “People everywhere should think hard about the priorities of our society. Should the earth be used up by the human race or should we respect the limits of the earth?” Photo: Osage Nation Principal Chief Geoffrey M. Standing Bear Osage Nation

Bartlesville Radio reported on September 2, 2016 that the Osage Nation has expressed their support for the Standing Rock Sioux as they continue to protest the development of the Dakota Access Pipeline, owned in part by Phillips 66. “The Osage Nation supports the people of Standing Rock who are protecting the land and waters,” said Osage Nation Principal Chief Geoffrey M. Standing Bear of the situation. “People everywhere should think hard about the priorities of our society. Should the earth be used up by the human race or should we respect the limits of the earth?”

The Osage Nation is providing emergency supplies to the protesters at Standing Rock. Some of the items the Osages have shipped to those camped at Cannonball River include: 720 blankets, 72 all-weather heavy-duty flashlights and batteries, and 100 hand-held flashlights with batteries. More supplies will be coming from the Osage Nation and Osage Casinos. “Our Chief asked our casino staff last week to mobilize vendors and resources in support of our brothers and sisters at Standing Rock, after we heard the water supply had been cut off to the Cannonball River gathering,” said Byron Bighorse, CEO of Osage Casino. “After finding out that water was in route to them, we asked what other vital provisions they needed. It was determined that blankets, flashlights and batteries were a priority, so we immediately arranged for those items to be rush shipped to the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe organizers. We are honored to help,” added Bighorse.

The Sioux Tribe website calls this “another chapter in the long history of the federal government granting the construction of potentially hazardous projects near or through tribal lands, waters, and cultural places without including the tribe.”[20][21]

August 18, 2016: Phillips Celebrates 66 Years of Splash Club Tradition in Bartlesville

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Phillips Celebrates 66 Years of Splash Club Tradition in Bartlesville. The Phillips 66 Splash Club in Bartlesville is celebrating its 66th year of tradition, of fun, or hard work, of a journey to national and international significance, and of helping to mold countless children into successful adults and of excellence.

The Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise reported on August 18, 2016 that the Phillips 66 Splash Club in Bartlesville is celebrating its 66th year of tradition, of fun, or hard work, of a journey to national and international significance, and of helping to mold countless children into successful adults and of excellence. "Who would have thought that a small deed of an idea in 1950 ... would have grown into the dream of the continuing dominance of United States swimming,” said Ken Treadway who was hired in 1950 by then Phillips Petroleum Director of Recreation Bud Browning as the first Splash Club coach. That decision put in motion an amateur organization — the longest of its kind in United States history — that has influenced the lives of thousands of Bartlesville area children. The urrent Splash Club head coach Chad Englehart feels proud to be able to help celebrate the 66th Anniversary of the founding of the club and is hoping his current swimmers participate in all the doings set for Labor Day Weekend including an alumni meet on Saturday, a gathering on Saturday evening and a picnic on Sunday at Woolaroc. “I want to show them off and show what a great crop of young people we have now in the program. I want them hear what the Splash Club has meant to USA Swimming, to Bartlesville and to the adults that will be there.”[22]

Kenneth Treadway founded the Phillips 66 Splash Club on December 6, 1950. Since then thousands of swimmers have participated, including second-generation Splash Club members. The Splash Club has developed Junior National Championship, National Championship, and Olympic Trials Qualifiers. In addition, U.S. National Team members, High School All-American Swimmers, and collegiate swimmers have been fostered by Splash Club. We are recognized as one of the finest programs in the nation including members holding state records. The team name was changed in September of 2002 to reflect the merger of Phillips Petroleum Company and Conoco to the ConocoPhillips Splash Club. In 2012 the team again changed names to Phillips 66 Splash Club to reflect the separation of Phillips 66 from ConocoPhillips.[23]

August 11, 2016: ConocoPhillips Announces More Layoffs

News on 6 reported on August 11, 2016 that ConocoPhillips has announced another round of layoffs, this time for 6 percent of its employees worldwide. The company employs 15,600 people worldwide including 1,400 employees who work in Bartlesville. ConocoPhillips has not announced how many employees will be laid off in Bartlesville, and a spokesman says the company is still sorting that out. “As far as what the impact will be to Bartlesville, since we’re still early in the process, that has yet to be determined. However, we will know more in the next several weeks as we work through our formal process,” said David Austin. Last year, ConocoPhillips laid off 10-percent of its workforce worldwide including about 170 employees laid off in Bartlesville.[24]

"In 2012 ConocoPhillips split into two companies - an upstream company focused on oil exploration, and a downstream company, called Phillips 66, that is focused on refineries, chemical plants, and midstream. The Ponca City refinery went with Phillips 66 which has not announced layoffs," says Hugh Pickens, an investor who closely follows Phillips 66. "The Ponca City Refinery, which employs about 700 Phillips 66 employees and contractors, is running at almost 100% capacity and is considered to be one of the best run and most profitable of Phillips 66's fifteen worldwide refineries."

However there are some Ponca City residents who work for ConocoPhillips and commute to Bartlesville who could be impacted by the ConocoPhillips layoffs. In April, 2015 a previous ConocoPhillips' reduction in force affected some employees commuting from Ponca City to Bartlesville for a number of years. A Ponca City woman employee, who did not want to be identified told The Ponca City News, she was terminated from ConocoPhillips and sent home with others from the Bartlesville operations by cab. The 28-year employee, who had car-pooled, was terminated April 1, 2015 and transported back to Ponca City in a cab paid for by the company. A spokesman for ConocoPhillips said, “Within Bartlesville, less than 4 percent of our employees will be impacted by these workforce reductions. Anytime you have to do these kinds of reductions, it’s always very difficult.”[25]

Empty Office Buildings at Phillips 66's Ponca City Facility. ConocoPhillips has announced another round of layoffs, this time for 6 percent of its employees worldwide. Last year, ConocoPhillips laid off 10-percent of its workforce worldwide including 170 employees in Bartlesville. ConocoPhillips has not announced how many employees will be laid off in Bartlesville in this round of cutbacks. In 2008 ConocoPhillips downsized their operation in Ponca City as about 700 office worker positions in Ponca City were relocated to Bartlesville or Houston. Photo: Hugh Pickens

In 2008 ConocoPhillips downsized their operation in Ponca City as about 700 office worker positions in Ponca City were relocated to Bartlesville or Houston. "Consolidation and relocation are options we're looking at," said company spokesman Tracy Harlow. "Any and all options are still on the board right now." Most of ConocoPhillips' nonrefinery jobs in Ponca City were focused in the credit card, information technology, facilities and other support operations, Harlow said. A steering committee, including ConocoPhillips managers, was looking at options. The review started November 2008 and had not narrowed into specifics so far, Harlow said. The 750 people employed in refinery operations would not be affected by the review.[26]

July 28, 2016: Chevron Phillips Dedicates New Polyethylene Pilot Plant In Bartlesville

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Chevron Phillips Dedicates New Polyethylene pilot plant In Bartlesville. The new pilot plant took a little more than a year to build and is composed of 20 different modules that cover approximately 11,700 square feet. The new construction in Bartlesville replaces the decades-old pilot plant that had been the focal point of polyethylene research for decades. The old plant, located across the street from the new one, is now closed. Research projects are expected to start in the new plant by the end of the year.Photo:James Gibbard Tulsa World

NewsOK reported on July 28, 2016 that Chevron Phillips Chemical, a 50-50 joint venture between Chevron and Phillips 66 officially dedicated a new Marlex polyethylene pilot plant at Bartlesville’s research and technology facility beginning of the next phase for the company’s catalyst and polymer development operations. President/CEO Peter Cella said the pilot plant will allow for the research, testing and development of polyethylene processes, prior to implementation in full-scale operations. The new Bartlesville facility replaces a decades-old pilot plant that has been on the forefront of polyethylene research and development. Chevron Phillips Chemical employs just over 200 people at the facility in west Bartlesville.

Two Phillips 66 chemists, J. Paul Hogan and Robert L. Banks, discovered polypropylene in 1951 and their discovery led the way for commercially-viable plastic products such as milk jugs, containers and pipeline. “How perfect it is that our new pilot plant is right here in Bartlesville, Okla.,” Cella said. “This is the site were modern plastics got its start; this is the birthplace of modern plastics.” Skye Richey says the new plant is designed to be smarter, more user-friendly, environmentally responsible and safer for for the workers who will run it. Chevron Phillips Chemical officials did not release the cost to build the new pilot plant in Bartlesville, only to say the investment was significant.[27]

The new pilot plant took a little more than a year to build and is composed of 20 different modules that cover approximately 11,700 square feet. Cella said that the company is not releasing the new pilot plant’s price tag but described the investment as “significant.” Cella said that some jobs were created to construct the new plant but no additional hires were made at the research and technology facility. Cella said that the investment in the new pilot plant preserves those jobs. The new construction in Bartlesville replaces the decades-old pilot plant that had been the focal point of polyethylene research for decades. The old plant, located across the street from the new one, is now closed. Research projects are expected to start in the new plant by the end of the year.[28]

April 27, 2016: Winds Tear Off Part of Roof at Phillips 66 Research Center Campus in Bartlesville

KJRH reported on April 27, 2016 that powerful wind gusts in Bartlesville tore off part of the roof at a building on the Phillips 66 Research Center campus off Highway 60 west of Bartlesville. A spokeswoman said no one was injured there, and the damage did not affect any business operations.[29]

March 8, 2016: Greg Garland Unveils $1.7 million Phillips 66 Innovation Lab at Bartlesville High School

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Greg Garland Unveils $1.7 million Phillips 66 Innovation Lab at Bartlesville High School. "Our commitment to Bartlesville runs deep, over 100 years we have had a partnership between Phillips, the City of Bartlesville and the public schools. We value our relationship and that relationship is a great, strong relationship. The majority of our 2,000 area employees live in Bartlesville, so it is important from that stand point, and we care about the long-term viability here." Photo: Fox 23

The Bartlesville Examiner Enterprise reported on March 8, 2016 that Phillips 66 Chairman/CEO Greg Garland and Oklahoma State Superintendent of Schools Joy Hofmeister unveiled the $1.7 million Phillips 66 Innovation Lab at Bartlesville High School during a special ceremony. "Our commitment to Bartlesville runs deep, over 100 years we have had a partnership between Phillips, the City of Bartlesville and the public schools. We value our relationship and that relationship is a great, strong relationship. The majority of our 2,000 area employees live in Bartlesville, so it is important from that stand point, and we care about the long-term viability here," said Garland. "What these labs will do is allow another avenue to do what they do so very well, and help inspire these students to go on to pursue a degree or education that’s around STEM.”

In August 2014, Phillips 66 gave a $1.7 million donation to the Bartlesville Public School District to build the Innovation Labs at BHS, Madison Middle School and Central Middle School. The labs allow students to gain hands-on experience in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM. Garland says the gift was part of the company's strategy to partner with grassroots level organizations where its companies live and work.

Science Department Chair, Granger Meador was involved nearly every week since the grant was made in the design and construction of the STEM labs. He says it's amazing to have seen everything take shape. Meador says just as things from science fiction stories of decades ago have become fact, the things these high school students can become fact if they have the opportunity to learn what they need now.[30][31]

February 9, 2015: Chevron Phillips Chemical Co. Continues to Grow in Bartlesville

The Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise reported on February 9, 2016 that Steve Satterlee, facility and operations manager for Chevron Phillips’ Bartlesville location, told the Bartlesville Rotary Club that Chevron Phillips employees 5,000 people worldwide, with approximately 200 employees at the Research Center in west Bartlesville. In May 2015, the company held a groundbreaking at the Bartlesville facility for a new test pilot plant that will examine products before they are sent to larger facilities along the Gulf Coast. Satterlee said the pilot plant should be operational later this year. “This is a significant investment in the infrastructure in Bartlesville,” Satterlee said. “We plan on being here for a long time.” Satterlee added that the company continues to do very well and has not been greatly impacted by the dramatic drop in oil prices. “We have good assets, good partners across the world and we will always be here (in Bartlesville)."[32]

December 25, 2015: Phillips Donates $15,000 to Northern Oklahoma College, $1.7 Million to Bartlesville Public Schools

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Northern Oklahoma College is Located in Tonkawa, Oklahoma. On December 25, 2015 that the Phillips 66 Refinery donated $15,000 to the Northern Oklahoma College Foundation for financial support of the Process Technology (PTEC) Program at Northern Oklahoma College (NOC} located in Tonkawa, Oklahoma. The program support is to enhance the curriculum and to provide “hands-on” experience for the students in preparation for work in operations. On August 13, 2014, Phillips 66 CEO Greg Garland announced a grant to Bartlesville Public Schools of $1.7 million, over 100 times the amount donated to Northern Oklahoma College, to build Phillips 66 Innovation Labs at Bartlesville High School, Madison Middle School and Central Middle School. The labs are intended to enhance education in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) for students in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. Photo: Wesley Fryer. Flickr Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-SA 2.0)

The Ponca City News reported on December 25, 2015 that the Phillips 66 Refinery donated $15,000 to the Northern Oklahoma College Foundation for financial support of the Process Technology (PTEC) Program at Northern Oklahoma College (NOC} located in Tonkawa, Oklahoma. The program support is to enhance the curriculum and to provide “hands-on” experience for the students in preparation for work in operations. "The Foundation greatly appreciates the generous Phillips 66 donation," said Sheri Snyder, NOC vice president for development and executive director for the NOC Foundation. “Our longtime partnership has provided many educational opportunities that continue to enrich the lives of NOC students. Tim Seidel, Ponca City refinery manager presented the donation to NOC president Dr. Cheryl Evans.[33]

On August 13, 2014, Phillips 66 CEO Greg Garland announced a grant to Bartlesville Public Schools of $1.7 million, over 100 times the amount donated to Northern Oklahoma College, to build Phillips 66 Innovation Labs at Bartlesville High School, Madison Middle School and Central Middle School. The labs are intended to enhance local education in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Garland said that the donation is just one way Phillips 66 can demonstrate its commitment to Bartlesville and the employee base here. “Bartlesville is so unique. You have such a cadre of highly-educated people here in this town that are willing to go back (to the schools), and I think the STEM labs will create opportunities for people to go in there and encourage people in science, technology, engineering and math,” Garland told the Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise. “I think that education is one of the keys. We have to have exemplary schools in our communities so that our employees choose to live in those communities. We want to make sure they have good options. We are particularly interested in encouraging students. We want them to finish school, get their high school degree and go on to college, if that is what they want to do. We want them to be interested in science, technology, engineering and math.”[34]

On August 13, 2015 Ponca City resident Hugh Pickens spoke with Phillips 66 Chief Executive Officer Greg Garland after a forum in Bartlesville sponsored by the Bartlesville Chamber of Commerce and asked Garland what it would take for Ponca City to qualify for a grant from Phillips 66 to promote science in the Ponca City School System, like the grant of $1.7 million that Phillips 66 gave to Bartlesville Public Schools in 2014 to create new innovative laboratories on three school campuses in Bartlesville to support science, technology, engineering and math. Garland responded that he would look into the matter.[35]

November 16, 2015: Bartlesville High School Holds Open House for $1.7 million Phillips 66 Innovation Labs

File:Bartlesvillehighschool.jpg
Bartlesville High School Holds Open House for $1.7 Million Phillips 66 Innovation Labs. On August 13, 2015 Ponca City resident Hugh Pickens spoke with Phillips 66 Chief Executive Officer Greg Garland after a forum in Bartlesville sponsored by the Bartlesville Chamber of Commerce and asked Garland what it would take for Ponca City to qualify for a grant from Phillips 66 to promote science in the Ponca City School System, like the grant of $1.7 million that Phillips 66 gave to Bartlesville Public Schools in 2014 to create new innovative laboratories on three school campuses in Bartlesville to support science, technology, engineering and math. Garland responded that he would look into the matter. Photo: Granger Meador Flickr Creative Commons

The Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise reported on November 16, 2015 that members from the community got to see first hand Sunday the result of a multimillion dollar expansion of the campus at Bartlesville High School and one of the crowning achievements is the Phillips 66 Innovation Labs that are already completed at Madison Middle School and the BHS campus. The labs are made possible by a $1.7 million grant to the BPSD from Phillips 66.

BHS sophomore Lukas Cochran said the Innovation Lab will stimulate interest in science, technology and mathematics. “I love it. I like the physical examples. Taking something that you can visualize in your head and figuring out the math behind it,” he said. Cochran said he plans to pursue a career in engineering.

The lab has allowed the high school to add research, computer science and chemistry classes, said Superintendent Dr. Gary Quinn. “Our students can now do their science fair projects in a space fair classes in a space that’s designed for that,” he said. Quinn said the administration plans to connect with company employees and retirees to mentor the BHS students. “It will help them to be able to grow even more. … It’s a very exciting thing that we think sets our school district apart from other school districts,” Quinn said.[36]

October 6, 2015: ConocoPhillips Lays Off 170 Employees in Bartlesville

The Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise reported on October 6 2015 that ConocoPhillips will lay off 170 employees in Bartlesville - approximately 10% of the company's approximately 1,700 employees in the community. “We initially announced reductions internally on August 31 and externally on September 1,” said a ConocoPhillips spokesperson. “At the time, we announced that 10 percent of our global workforce would be affected. That 10 percent workforce reduction that you’re seeing globally, that (percentage) is what you’ll see in Bartlesville as well.” The layoffs come after what the spokesperson previously called a “dramatic downturn,” which has forced the company to look at its future workforce needs. While the company has taken significant steps to strengthen its position in the industry, workforce reductions are necessary, the spokesperson said.

“ConocoPhillips and its predecessor, Phillips Petroleum Company, have been lifelong, excellent corporate citizens to the City of Bartlesville,” said Bartlesville Mayor Tom Gorman. “I fully expect this relationship to continue well into the future. Through the years, ConocoPhillips — and Bartlesville along with it — has weathered many cycles in the petroleum industry. Although this is a difficult time in the petroleum industry, ConocoPhillips seems to be well positioned to emerge from this cycle as a leader in its segment of the petroleum industry. As a community, Bartlesville has compassion for those who are experiencing career changes.”[37]

No Phillips 66 employees in Bartlesville are affected by the layoffs. On November 11, 2011 ConocoPhillips announced that Phillips 66 would be the name of a new independent oil and gasoline refining and marketing firm, created as ConocoPhillips split into two companies. ConocoPhillips kept the current name of the company and concentrated on oil exploration and production side while Phillips 66 included refining, marketing, midstream, and chemical portions of the company.

September 18, 2015: ConocoPhillips CEO Ryan Lance Says Bartlesville Still Important Even As Company Look at 10 Percent Global Reduction in Force

The Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise reported on September 18, 2015 that ConocoPhillips CEO Ryan Lance spoke to the Bartlesville Chamber of Commerce on September 17, 2015 and told them that Bartlesville is still an important piece of the exploration and production industry and that as ConocoPhillips looks at spending cuts, Bartlesville will continue to be a key element to the company. “Bartlesville is a big, important part of the company. It’s going to stay a big, important part of the company,” said Lance. “We are having to make some corrections — this is an industry that has lost a lot of revenue. You have to react to that, and you have to react to the short-term, but it’s really, really important to keep the mid-term and long-term in mind as we go through those cycles. That’s what we’re doing. We’re going to make it through the short-term, we’re going to come out when the cycle recovers and we’re going to be in one of the best positions to thrive as an E&P company.”

ConocoPhillips recently announced a 10 percent reduction of its global workforce, with the largest percentage occurring in North America. “The billion dollar challenge that I put out to the company is one that we’re stepping back for a minute and taking a look at how we run the company,” said Lance. “It is, in fact, in the whole world, so it’s not just here in Bartlesville. It’s really something that we’re doing around the world. I think it’s going to be more sustainable for our company in terms of sustainable costs.”

Lance told members of the chamber that while the local community will be impacted, it will be minimal. “There will be some impact in Bartlesville. There will be some people that will move onto other things, but it’s not going to be significant," said Lance adding that ConocoPhillips is going to take this opportunity to take a look at how the company handles its back office operations. “Bartlesville’s not going anywhere. Bartlesville’s going to be a significant part of the company today, tomorrow, next month, next year. We have 1,700 employees here, and we have a pretty efficient operation. But, we are taking the time out to take a look at it and say, ‘let’s look at how we do it.’ We have the right systems and processes of an independent E&P company … I think that’s just a healthy thing to do every now and then.”[38]

September 1, 2015: ConocoPhillips to Slash Workforce with Massive Layoffs, Bartlesville to be Impacted

CNBC reported on September 1, 2015 that ConocoPhillips will cut about 10 percent of its global workforce, with the largest percentage occurring in North America. "As we have assessed the implications of lower prices on our business, we've made the difficult decision that workforce reductions will be necessary," wrote Daren Beaudo, director of communications, in an email to CNBC. Beaudo said that more information will be available in the coming weeks. The company currently employs 3,753 workers in its Houston headquarters where the reductions are expected to impact about 500 workers.[39]

In Bartlesville, 1,700 people work for ConocoPhillips, but the company has not said how many employees, if any, could be let go. ConocoPhillips released a statement saying, in part, "While Bartlesville will be impacted [by the layoffs] we do not have any specifics beyond that." Bartlesville Chamber of Commerce President Sherri Wilt said she hasn't heard anything, but said, while losing jobs at ConocoPhillips would be a big blow, Bartlesville is diversifying its economy.[40] “We’ll know more in the next several weeks as we work through our formal process. Our industry is undergoing a dramatic downturn, which has caused us to look at our future workforce needs,” a ConocoPhillips spokesperson told the Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise. “As we have assessed the implications of lower prices on our business, we’ve made the difficult decision that workforce reductions will be necessary.”[41]

August 13, 2015: Garland Says Phillips 66's Commitment to Bartlesville Remains Strong

File:Garland and pickens 2015 .jpg
Greg Garland Speaks to Bartlesville Chamber of Commerce. Phillips 66 Chief Executive Officer, Greg Garland told attendees at a forum sponsored by the Bartlesville Chamber of Commerce on August 13, 2015 that Phillip 66's commitment to Bartlesville remains strong. After the forum Garland discussed Phillips 66 and Ponca City with Ponca City resident Hugh Pickens. Pickens asked Garland what it would take for Ponca City to qualify for a grant from Phillips 66 to promote science in the Ponca City School System, like the grant of $1.7 million that Phillips 66 gave to Bartlesville Public Schools in 2014 to create new innovative laboratories on three school campuses in Bartlesville to support science, technology, engineering and math. Garland responded that he would look into the matter. Photo: Dr. S. J. Pickens

Bartlesville Radio reported on August 13, 2015 that Phillips 66 Chief Executive Officer Greg Garland spoke at Forum sponsored by the Bartlesville Chamber of Commerce on August 13, 2015 and told the audience that the company's commitment to Bartlesville remains strong. Garland showed a video highlighting the company's involvement in Bartlesville from the Phillips 66 museum and all of its facilities here to the large number of local employees and its support of some 90 non-profit organizations in the area.[42] “We wouldn’t be who we are without the amazing employees of this company,” said Garland. “Bartlesville is a very important part of the legacy, the culture of our company… It is a vital part of the operations of Phillips 66 today… Bartlesville, as much as any place I go, exemplifies our values of safety, honor and commitment… Our commitment runs deep here.”[43]

According to Garland, Phillips 66 is committed to the betterment of the local economy and education systems. Last year, Garland announced a $1.7 million grant to Bartlesville Public Schools to build Phillips 66 Innovation Labs at Bartlesville High School, Madison Middle School and Central Middle School. The labs are intended to enhance local education in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Garland said that the donation is just one way Phillips 66 can demonstrate its commitment to Bartlesville and the employee base here. “Bartlesville is so unique. You have such a cadre of highly-educated people here in this town that are willing to go back (to the schools), and I think the STEM labs will create opportunities for people to go in there and encourage people in science, technology, engineering and math,” Garland said. “I think that education is one of the keys. We have to have exemplary schools in our communities so that our employees choose to live in those communities. We want to make sure they have good options. We are particularly interested in encouraging students. We want them to finish school, get their high school degree and go on to college, if that is what they want to do. We want them to be interested in science, technology, engineering and math.”[44]

August 4, 2015: Phillips Makes Donation to Public Safety Agencies in Bartlesville

The Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise reported on August 4, 2015 that several local public safety agencies have received a donation from Phillips 66 to purchase specialized equipment for emergency response operations. “Phillips 66 provided funding to Bartlesville Police and Fire, as well as Washington County Emergency Management, for equipment that will increase the safety of local responders and help them serve local communities more efficiently," said Washington County Emergency Management Director Kary Cox. According to Cox, the money was basically a need-based donation to the departments. For example Cox says that Emergency Management “obtained a custom breathing air trailer that will enable them to refill breathing air cylinders for firefighters at the scene of an emergency.”[45]

June 14, 2015: Phillips 66 Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Lab at Bartlesville High School Will Be Delayed

The Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise reported on June 13, 2015 that completion of the Phillips 66 Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Lab at Bartlesville High School will be delayed. According to Scott Ambler, architect of the construction projects at the expanded BHS campus, sub-contractor Estruct LLC — which laid the concrete slab in the new science wing and laid the slab on both floors of the ninth-grade center, commons area and 10th-grade classrooms — did not level the concrete appropriately. Because extra crews and resources are going to be used to correct the problem, Nabholz Construction said completion of the Phillips 66 Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Lab will be delayed. The STEM Lab is being built in the basement of the main building at BHS, where the former cafeteria was located. Officials say the STEM Lab will most likely not be ready at the very start of the school year, but will be completed shortly afterward.[46]

June 3, 2015: Bartlesville Seniors Win Phillips 66 Scholarships

The Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise reported on June 3, 2015 that five area high school seniors will receive a $4,000 college scholarship from the Phillips 66 Dependent Scholarship Program. The competitive program awards outstanding college-bound students whose parents work for Phillips 66 or one of its subsidiaries. The awards are based on academic excellence, community service and financial need. This scholarship program reflects Phillips 66’s commitment to the communities where we live and operate and builds on our corporate vision of improving lives,” said Claudia Kreisle, Phillips 66 Director, Contributions and Community Engagement.[47]

May 19, 2015: Phillips is Committed to Bartlesville and We're Here to Stay Says Phillips Vice President of Technology

The Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise reported on May 19, 2015 that Merl Lindstrom, vice president of technology for Phillips 66, told members of the Bartlesville Noon Rotary Club that Bartlesville is "a great place, we really like Bartlesville, and suffice to say, we’re here to stay." Lindstrom noted that other peer companies have to contract their research to third parties because they have nothing comparable to the state-of-the art research center, which was first established by Phillips Petroleum Company in 1950. Around 1,000 researchers and technicians, including Phillips 66 employees and those from ConocoPhillips and Chevron Phillips Chemical Company, work at the 440-acre research campus, located just west of the city. “We have a very unique portfolio relative to our peers. We’re very diverse, very broad, and if you compare us to our peers and some of the other refiners, we’re the only one that has a research and development organization,” said Lindstrom on Monday afternoon. “That’s something I’m certainly proud of and something that we use to our advantage.”

Lindstrom said a premier testing site for polyethylene research is being built on the campus that has been a hub of research and development for decades. The facility will be dedicated to further improving products, processes and technologies that can be applied to the company’s worldwide operations. “It’s another anchor for the research center to be there for a very long time,” Lindstrom said about the new plant, which is scheduled to start operating in 2017.

Lindstrom added that Phillips 66 is committed to investing in the Bartlesville community. In 2014, the company contributed nearly $2 million toward education, Bartlesville Regional United Way and the Sooner Park Play Tower, among other community causes.[48]

January 24, 2015: Phillips Is Looking at Controllable Expenses Not Personnel Cuts

Bartlesville Radio KWON reported on January 23, 2015 that Phillips 66 is looking at controllable costs including travel, supplies, hiring, the use of consultants, memberships and projects or resources that aren’t critical to the business. Company spokesman Summer Austin says Phillips 66 is asking all of its employees to identify areas where expenses can be cut or controlled because of lower oil prices and other economic factors. Although rumors are circulating that Phillips is looking at personnel costs and possible personnel cuts, Austin says she has not been told of any specific job cuts and when it comes to the possibility of layoffs, Phillips 66 executive leadership views layoffs as a last resort — never as a prime strategy.[49]

January 23. 2015: Phillips 66's Commitment to Bartlesville Will Remain Strong

The Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise reported on January 24, 2015 that Merl Lindstrom, vice president of technology for Phillips 66, told Bartlesville’s Daybreak Rotary Club on January 23, 2015 that the company’s commitment to the local area will remain strong. “This is a time of upheaval in the energy industry,” Lindstrom said. “Things are changing pretty quickly, and so as we move through the next few months we will certainly have some changes (in the industry), but we will do our best… We’ve been here (in Bartlesville) many, many years. We’ve been around refining since the early 1900s and continue to be there.”

Lindstrom said that approximately 1,750 Phillips 66 employees work out of the company’s offices in downtown Bartlesville and another 450 are based at the Research Center in west Bartlesville. “This is one of the largest sites anywhere in the world for the concentration of Phillips 66 employees,” Lindstrom said. “Currently, I can’t see anything changing. Our Bartlesville operations and the Research Center is a great place to be. There’s none like it. This is a great place, and we have no problems attracting people to Bartlesville.”

Lindstrom said that approximately 75 percent of the work done at the Research Center is dedicated to refining, and as the technology in producing the elements in oil and gas products evolves, Phillips 66 will be able to evolve with it. Lindstrom said the Bartlesville facility — with its partnerships with ConocoPhillips, ChevronPhillips and other companies — will be at the forefront to develop new methods and technologies.[50]

December 5, 2015: Chevron Phillips Chemical Completes Sale of its Ryton® PPS Business to Solvay including Pilot Plant and PPS Assets in Bartlesville

Businesswire reported on December 5, 2015 that Chevron Phillips Chemical Company has completed the sale of its Ryton® polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) business to Solvay’s Global Business Unit (GBU) Specialty Polymers (Solvay) for $220 million. As part of the transaction, Solvay purchased the Ryton® PPS unit in Chevron Phillips Chemical’s plant in Borger, Texas; the pilot plant along with the PPS research and development assets in Bartlesville, Oklahoma; the compounding plant in Kallo-Beveren, Belgium; and certain intellectual property relating to the Ryton® PPS business. While the Ryton® PPS business is a better strategic fit for Solvay, we remain committed to our sites in Borger, Texas and Bartlesville, Oklahoma,” said Ron Corn, senior vice president of specialties, aromatics and styrenics for Chevron Phillips Chemical. Chevron Phillips Chemical recently announced plans to build a new polyethylene pilot plant at its research center in Bartlesville.[51]

December 19, 2014: CP Chemical to Build New Polyethylene Pilot Plant in Bartlesville

The Tulsa World reported on December 19, 2014 that Chevron Phillips Chemical Co. LP plans to build a polyethylene pilot plant at its research and technology facility in Bartlesville that should be completed in 2017. The new facility will replace the current site, which has been focused on “developing improvements in current resins or new polymer kind of innovations” since the 1970s. “As a global producer of polyethylene, we strive to support our customers with the latest technological advances and process improvements through the efforts of our research and development personnel,” said Don Lycette, vice president of research and technology for Chevron Phillips Chemical, in a written statement. “Chevron Phillips Chemical continues to build on a long history of scientific discoveries, particularly at our facility in Bartlesville, which was originally built in 1950 by Phillips Petroleum Co.” The new pilot plant will incorporate Chevron Phillips Chemical’s proprietary MarTech process for polyethylene production and technology that enables production of bimodal polyethylene resins for advanced applications.[52]

Philips CEO Greg Garland previously made mention of the expansion at the Research Center when he spoke to the Bartlesville Chamber of Commerce in August 2014.[53]

December 5, 2014: Phillips to Invest $155 Million at Corporate Level Primarily in IT and Facilities

Phillips 66 announced on December 5, 2014 that in Corporate and Other, Phillips 66 plans to fund $155 million in projects primarily related to information technology and facilities.[54]

November 19, 2014: Phillips Donates $50,000 to Restore Goff Tower in Bartlesville

KWON reported on November 19, 2014 that Phillips 66 donated $50,000 and the Lyons Foundation donated $20,875 to help restore Goff Tower, designed by famed architect Bruce Goff and presented in 1964 as a gift from Mrs. H.C. Price to the children of Bartlesville. Citizens are invited for the re-opening ceremony of the Sooner Park Play Tower scheduled for Wednesday, November 26th at 2 pm.[55]

August 13, 2014: Phillips Has No Plans to Close Any Bartlesville Facilities

Nathan Thompson reported in the Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise on August 13, 2014 that Greg Garland told a group of community leaders at the Bartlesville Regional Chamber of Commerce forum on August 12, 2014 that the company’s commitment to Bartlesville continues and that there are no plans to close any of the Bartlesville facilities. “Bartlesville is a special and unique place,” said Garland. “It has a rich part of our heritage and our legacy. It is important today. It will be important in the future of Phillips 66… A big part of the day-to-day operations and the successes of Phillips 66 are born by the people here in Bartlesville.” Garland mentioned an expansion that is currently underway at the Research Center to continue the development of polyethylene technologies. We also have a world-class research facility here in Bartlesville,” Garland said. “That differentiates us from a Valero (Energy Corporation), or a Marathon (Oil Corporation). It is very unique to our space (in the market).” Even with expansion at the Houston headquarters, Garland said the the space is already at capacity — and the Bartlesville facilities continue to be full as well.[56]

August 13, 2014: Phillips Pledges $1,700,000 to Support STEM Education in Bartlesville

The Tulsa World reported on August 13, 2014 that Phillips will be giving $1.7 million to Bartlesville Public Schools to create new innovative laboratories on three school campuses to support science, technology, engineering and math classes and research projects. “We want to create a place where our students will come and be excited, be challenged and hopefully be encouraged to follow a career at a place like Phillips 66,” he said. “We want to put the right kind of tools in the hands of students in Bartlesville so they can be more successful.”[57]

The funds came through a Phillips 66 Signature Community Initiative grant application submitted to the company under an effort spearheaded by Scott Bilger, a Bartlesville school board member and Phillips 66 employee, and Granger Meador, a physics teacher who heads up Bartlesville High’s science department. The new laboratories and major new course offerings will be at the high school, along with Madison and Central Middle Schools. “We are just really, really excited about the opportunity this is going to provide our students,” Superintendent Gary Quinn said. “It cannot be overstated what this is going to mean to our students.” Phillips 66 has about 2,000 workers in Bartlesville.[58]

September 1, 2013: Garland Praises Bartlesville

The Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise reported on September 1, 2013 that Garland praised the Bartlesville and state of Oklahoma for its “rich heritage” and as a source of employee talent it provides to the company. “Oklahoma is a special place to Phillips 66,” Chairman/CEO Greg Garland told a crowd at the first forum in a series hosted by the Bartlesville Regional Chamber of Commerce held Tuesday afternoon. “This is where it all started for us. It became a rich heritage.” Of the company’s 13,500 employees worldwide, Garland said Bartlesville and Houston are the two largest population centers for employees. The headquarters in Houston employs approximately 1,800. “We have nearly three thousand employees in Oklahoma today — two thousand right here in Bartlesville,” he said. “… It’s where our global services are headquartered out of, and really the service is a machine that runs Phillips 66 each and every day, so it is a very important place.” Garland also said the reputation and success of the company were built from the “giants” who first created it, and that success continues because of those giants. “We are standing on the shoulders of giants,” said Garland. “People like E. W. Marland, who started Marland Oil in 1911, and Frank and L. E. Phillips that started Phillips Petroleum in 1917. I could go on and on and list the giants that have come before us that have so well positioned this company for the success that we envoy today.”[59]

October 27, 2012: Bartlesville Research Center Dodges a Bullet

Rod Walton reported in the Tulsa World on October 27, 2012 that with Phillips decision not to build a long-planned major research and training center in Colorado, Bartlesville employees are breathing a sigh of relief because many feared that their piece of the company might be headed to the Rocky Mountains. "Any time a major employer in the community makes a sizable investment in another location, it generates concerns," said David Wood, president of Bartlesville Development Corp. "The formal announcement that Phillips 66 will be selling the Louisville property puts this issue to rest." The Bartlesville research center has a long history. Phillips Petroleum Co. had its headquarters in the city from the early 20th century until the merger with Conoco Inc. in 2002. Now it looks like the research center is safe and sound for some years to come. "Without being complacent, indications are that the research center will continue to be a large, high-wage employer in Bartlesville for the foreseeable future," Wood said. "We couldn't be more pleased with that outcome."[60]

September 12, 2012: Bartlesville a Special Place for Garland

The Tulsa World reported on September 12, 2012 that Garland spoke on September 11, 2012 at a packed Bartlesville Area Chamber of Commerce Forum at the city's community center downtown carrying on a tradition started several years ago by his predecessor, ConocoPhillips CEO Jim Mulva. Garland was adamant that Bartlesville's value as a global web center, combined with its heritage as home city of the original Phillips Petroleum Co. always make it important to the company's future plans. "We have deep roots here," Garland said adding that he visits the company's local operations several times a year. "It's a cost-efficient place for us to do business. I think we made the right decision." Garland noted that office space is almost maxed out locally, so he does not see more than "modest growth" adding to the 2,000 jobs Phillips 66 already has in Bartlesville. Garland was recruited out of Texas A&M by Phillips and lived many years in Bartlesville with his wife and four children.[61]

The Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise reported on September 12, 2012 that Garland went to work for Phillips 66 as his first job out of college because of Bartlesville. “I picked this company because of Bartlesville. Four times over the course of 32 years I’ve lived here. We have good memories of Bartlesville, Oklahoma, and it’s always going to be a very special place to me personally," said Garland. “As we were approaching the repositioning and spinning Phillips 66 out of ConocoPhillips, there was never any question that Bartlesville would continue to be a strategic and important part of our company, in the support of our company operations, for a very long time."[62]

May 1, 2012: Phillips Has 'Deep Roots' in Bartlesville

ConocoPhillips CEO Ryan Lance and Phillips 66 CEO Greg Garland reassured its employees in Oklahoma in an op-ed they wrote for the Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise titled "ConocoPhillips, Phillips 66 have deep roots in Bartlesville" that "ConocoPhillips and Phillips 66 together employ nearly 4,500 people in Oklahoma, an increase in recent years. Going forward, we will both maintain Global Services Centers in Bartlesville providing essential finance, information technology and other vital support to our personnel around the world. Elsewhere, Phillips 66 will continue operating the Ponca City Refinery, by far Oklahoma’s largest, and will remain the leading gasoline marketer. ConocoPhillips will continue producing oil and natural gas from the Anadarko Basin and the Panhandle area." Lance and Garland added that "we continue encouraging both current and incoming employees to maintain our proud tradition of community service. Bartlesville is a special place to work, live and raise a family, and we want to help keep it that way. This is an exciting time for ConocoPhillips and Phillips 66. All of our Oklahoma communities are great homes to our people and businesses, and we both look forward to long and bright futures here."[63]

April 29, 2012: Jim Mulva is a "True Friend of Bartlesville

The Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise editorialized on April 29, 2012 that Jim Mulva has "proven to be a true friend to the City of Bartlesville."[64] According to Rod Walton, Bartlesville was a big beneficiary of the ConocoPhillips merger and seems to have lived a charmed life economically over the past ten years. Although the home of Frank Phillips doesn't employ 9,000 company workers as it did in the early days, the 1,000 employees added since 2002 have kept downtown buildings such as Plaza and Adams full of mid-level computer, credit and other support personnel. But now Bartlesville operations are in flux and there is much uncertainty about the future. "All employees are being moved to one of the two companies, with co-workers who once sat side to side now literally shifted to separate buildings," writes Walton. ConocoPhillips will employ about 1,700 people in the downtown Plaza and Frank Phillips Tower Center buildings and in the Adams warehouse. Phillips 66's Bartlesville workforce will number 1,900 people, housed in the main Adams and Phillips buildings and the Research and Development Center on the west edge of the city.[65] The Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise reported on April 29, 2012 that the "split or 'repositioning' as it has been called by company officials, has required many existing local employees to shift jobs and even physically move from one building to another within the extensive downtown Bartlesville office complex" adding that "while no one can predict the future with perfect clarity, Bartlesville appears no worse for the wear during this complex process."[66]

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  17. News6. "ConocoPhillips Begins Layoffs In Bartlesville, Across Company" September 12, 2016.
  18. Bartlesville Examiner Enterprise. "ConocoPhillips expects 90 jobs lost in Bartlesville" by Nathan Thompson. September 12, 2016.
  19. Tulsa World. "ConocoPhillips jobs in jeopardy" by Rod Walton. November 8, 2008.
  20. Osage Nation. "Osage Nation Joins Support Efforts for Sioux Tribe at Standing Rock in Pipeline Protest" September 2, 2016.
  21. Bartlesville Radio. "Osage Nation Sends Support to Standing Rock Sioux" September 2, 2016.
  22. Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise. "Phillips 66 Splash Club: A time to remember, a time to celebrate" by Mike Tupa. August 18, 2016.
  23. Phillips 66 Splash Club retrieved August 18, 2016.
  24. News at 6. "ConocoPhillips Announces More Layoffs" August 11, 2016.
  25. Ponca City News. "Ponca City Employees In Bartlesville Affected By ConocoPhillips Cut" by Louise Abercrombie. April 2, 2015.
  26. Tulsa World. "ConocoPhillips jobs in jeopardy" by Rod Walton. November 8, 2008.
  27. NewsOK. "Polyethylene pilot plant dedicated" July 28, 2016.
  28. Tulsa World. "Chevron Phillips Chemical celebrates completion of new polyethylene pilot plant" by Casey Smith. July 28, 2016.
  29. KJRG. "Neighbors begin cleaning up damage after storms hit several communities in Washington County" by Will Dupree. April 27, 2016.
  30. Bartlesville Examiner Enterprise. "Phillips CEO, state school chief unveil BHS labs" March 8, 2016.
  31. Bartlesville Radio. "Schools Show Off STEM Labs" March 7, 2016.
  32. Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise. "Chevron Phillips continues to grow" by Nathan Thompson. February 9, 2016.
  33. Ponca City News. "Phillips 66 Donates $15,000 to NOCF" December 25, 2015.
  34. Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise. "Phillips 66 CEO says commitment to area remains" by Nathan Thompson. August 14, 2015.
  35. Ponca Refinery. "Phillips 66's Committment to Bartlesville Remains Strong" August 13, 2015.
  36. Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise. "BHS unveils new areas Sunday" by Nathan Thompson. November 16, 2015.
  37. Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise. "ConocoPhillips lays off 170 locally" by Kelcey King. October 6, 2015.
  38. Bartlesville Examiner Enterprise. "ConocoPhillips CEO: Bartlesville still important" by Kelcey King. September 18, 2015.
  39. CNBC. "ConocoPhillips announces massive layoffs" by Reem Nasr. September 1, 2015.
  40. News Channel 6. "ConocoPhillips Layoffs Likely To Impact Bartlesville Workers" by Allison Harris. September 1, 2015.
  41. Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise. "More layoffs for ConocoPhillips" September 2, 2015.
  42. Bartlesville Radio. "Phillips 66 Stays Committed to Bartlesville" August 13, 2015.
  43. Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise. "P66 continues to perform well" August 16, 2015.
  44. Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise. "Phillips 66 CEO says commitment to area remains" by Nathan Thompson. August 14, 2015.
  45. Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise. "Agencies get new safety equipment" by Tim Hudson. August 4, 2015.
  46. Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise. "Improperly laid concrete delays project at BHS" by Nathan Thompson. June 13, 2014.
  47. Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise. "Area students win Phillips 66 scholarships" June 3, 2015.
  48. Bartlesville Examiner Enterprise. "Official: Future looks bright for Phillips 66" by Emily Droege. May 19, 2015.
  49. Bartlesville Radio KWON. "Philliips 66 Evaluating Controllable Expenses" January 23, 2015.
  50. Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise. "Phillips 66 commitment strong" by Nathan Thompson. January 23, 2015.
  51. Businesswire. "Chevron Phillips Chemical Completes Sale of its Ryton® PPS Business to Solvay" December 5, 2015.
  52. Tulsa World. "Chevron Phillips Chemical to build pilot plant in Bartlesville" December 19, 2014.
  53. Bartlesville Examiner. "Phillips 66 CEO: Company remains committed to Bartlesville" by Nathan Thompson. August 13, 2014.
  54. Phillips 66 Press Release. "Phillips Announces 2015 Capital Program" December 5, 2014.
  55. KWOM. "Goff Tower To Be Reopened November 26th" November 19, 2014.
  56. Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise. "Phillips 66 CEO: Company remains committed to Bartlesville" by Nathan Thompson. August 13, 2014.
  57. Tulsa World. "Phillips 66 CEO announces $1.7 million STEM grant for Bartlesville schools" by Laura Summers. August 13, 2014.
  58. Tulsa World. "Phillips 66 CEO announces $1.7 million STEM grant for Bartlesville schools" by Laura Summers. August 13, 2014.
  59. Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise. "Phillips 66 CEO praises city" September 1, 2013.
  60. Tulsa World. "Phillips 66 cancels Colorado research center, putting to rest any worry for Bartlesville" by Rod Walton. October 27, 2012.
  61. Tulsa World. "Spinoff of Phillips 66 positive, profitable, CEO Greg Garland tells Bartlesville chamber" by Rod Walton. September 12, 2012.
  62. Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise. "CEO: City strategic to Phillips 66" by Jessica Miller. September 13, 2012.
  63. Bartlesvile Examiner-Enterprise. "ConocoPhillips, Phillips 66 have deep roots in Bartlesville" by Ryan Lance and Greg Garland. May 1,2012.
  64. Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise. "ConocoPhillips, Phillips 66 embark on a new future" April 29, 2012.
  65. Tulsa World. "ConocoPhillips streamlines with Phillips 66 refining side spinoff" by Rod Walton. April 29, 2012.
  66. Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise. "ConocoPhillips, Phillips 66 embark on a new future" April 29, 2012.
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Master Index of Articles about Phillips 66

The North Tower and the South Tower, part of Phillips 66's Refinery Complex in Ponca City, contain over 250,000 square feet of Class A office space that is essentially unused. Research West contains another 230,000 square feet of unused Class A office space. Photo: Hugh Pickens
Ponca: A Core Asset. Phillips CEO Greg Garland told members of the Bartlesville Chamber of Commerce on August 27, 2013 that the refinery at Ponca is a 'core asset' of Phillips 66. The refinery in Ponca City "is making very good money for us," Garland told his Bartlesville audience. Garland added that he expects gas demands in the U.S. to decline by 20 percent in the next 10 years, but that demand for refined products in South America and Africa will more than offset that decline.

by Hugh Pickens, Ponca City Oklahoma

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The purpose of this report is to provide a comprehensive overview of Phillips 66 that documents and explains the company's business strategy and execution of that strategy.

Major Sections of this report on Phillips 66 include:

Safety, Environment, Legal <html>
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Corporate

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Strategic and Financial

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Business Segments

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Stock Market

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Reference

Refining Business Segment

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Increasing Profitability in Refining Business Segment

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Detailed Look at Ponca City Refinery

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Other Phillips Refineries

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Other Locations