Natural Energy Sources Play Key Role in Economy
Published Apr 14, 2008
Valero Energy Corp., headquartered in San Antonio, is the largest oil refiner in the United States and among the largest retail operators.
The Alamo Area is rich in natural resources, not the least of which are oil and gas.
“Besides agriculture and cattle ranching, oil and gas are the main products of the county,” says Ralph Morgan, 911 coordinator for Frio County. “We have a lot of cattle ranching, and the cattle graze around oil pump jacks.”
In Frio County, just 70 miles south of San Antonio, farmland sits atop oil and gas reserves. There are two large oil fields and several oil service companies. Many local residents depend on the energy industry for their livelihood.
Both Tesoro Corporation and Valero Energy Corporation, two of the largest refiners in the nation, are headquartered in San Antonio. Valero refines 3.1 million barrels of oil per day in refineries around the country, and the company has nearly 6,000 retail outlets in 44 states and across Canada, Latin America and the Caribbean. Tesoro processes more than 660,000 barrels of oil per day and operates more than 900 retail outlets.
Oil and gas are prominent natural resources in the Alamo Area, but they are by no means the only ones. Lignite mining began in Atascosa County in the 1980s, and the operation is a vital part of the local economy.
“When you look at the tax rolls, it’s hard to say how many millions of dollars the coal mine and the power plant provide to the area,” says Dan Nick, city manager in Jourdanton who was the business manager at the mine for 17 years. Together, the mine and the mine employ approximately 500 people.
Many of the industry’s employees drive into Atascosa County for their jobs, broadening the influence of the operation, Nick says. The plant and the mine also draw job applicants from other parts of the country.
“When you look at the purchase of homes and the kids going to school and the purchase of vehicles and food and other necessities, definitely it’s a big impact,” he says.
Due to its bundant water supply, large coal reserves and immediate access to transportation and pipeline availability, Frio County is moving toward the production of alternative fuels, according to Morgan.
“We have the proven ability to grow crops that can be converted not only to biodiesel but to biomass as well,” he says. Biomass is used in the ethanol process.
“We could become a net exporter of diesel products just by going green on our marginal land.”
Story by Michaela Jackson
Photo by Jeff Adkins
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