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Gulf Canada, originally British-American Oil and eventually Gulf Canada Resources, was a major Canadian integrated gas, oil, and resources company that operated between 1906 and 2001. It was Canada's 4th largest oil company and operated over 9,000 retail gasoline outlets. The company expanded rapidly through growth and acquisition to eventually be valued at over $6 billion.〔(''Conoco Reaches Deal to Buy Gulf Canada for $4.33 Billion'', Wall Street Journal, May 30, 2001 ). Retrieved 2015-04-07〕 It was a highly visible company that was the subject of controversial acquisition strategies, the federal government's efforts to Canadianize the oil and gas industry, and the failure of the world's largest property developer. At its peak, it was a diversified conglomerate whose assets included a major distillery company, the world's largest pulp and paper producer, a major pipeline, and Canada's largest natural gas distributor. Since 2001 it has operated as ConocoPhillips Canada. ==British-American Oil== The British American Oil Company (B/A) was founded in Toronto, Ontario, in 1906 by Albert Leroy Ellsworth (1876–1950). He was born in Welland, Ontario, and had worked for 9 years at Standard Oil's Acme Refinery in Buffalo, New York. The company was organized with a Province of Ontario Charter dated October 17, 1906, and its first office building was located at the corner of King and Yonge Streets in Toronto.〔(Canada's Early Oil Industry - A Brief History, Petroleum History Society, Archives Newsletter June 2000 ). Retrieved 2015-04-07〕 In 1908, with 8 shareholders, B/A built Canada’s third refinery on 3 acres on the eastern waterfront in Toronto. The company refined imported crude oil and its main product was kerosene; a then-useless by-product was gasoline, which was dumped into a swamp. B/A acquired a Dominion Charter which allowed it to expand eastward into Quebec as well as west into other provinces. Expansion was swift, with the refinery expanding to 40 acres and crude oil production was up to 32,000 barrels per month. Most of the product was hauled on horse-drawn wagons and in wooden barrels by rail.〔 In 1920 B/A purchased the Winnipeg Oil Company and established regional headquarters in Winnipeg. The company was by then marketing a variety of products, including gasoline, motor oil, benzene, anti-freeze, and others under a variety of brands, both in-house and from other companies. In 1924 B/A entered the U.S. as a producing company with the formation of the Toronto Pipeline Company. In 1925 B/A formed the British-American Oil Producing Company in Delaware to develop producing oil fields which were then being discovered in Oklahoma. It was a wholly owned subsidiary of B/A with operations confined to the United States.〔 In 1922 Ellsworth, together with several partners, established the Clear Vision Pump Company Limited (CVPC) which amongst other products, was the first pump that provided a visual check of the gasoline being dispensed. CVPC acquired similar companies in Canada and the United States which led to the formation of the Service Station Equipment Company Limited in 1927, later renamed International Metal Industries Limited.〔(The Montreal Gazette, October 17, 1928 ). Retrieved 2015-04-07〕〔Wilkins, Mira, ''(The History of Foreign Investment in the United States, 1914–1945 )'', Chapter 5, note 333. Harvard University Press, 2004. ISBN 978-0674013087. Retrieved 2015-04-07.〕 In the 1930s, B/A established its own fleet of tanker ships to operate on the Great Lakes: The Britamoil ((photo) ), the Britamolene, the Britamette, the Britamlube, and the Britamaco. B/A built Canada's first absorption plant at Longview, Alberta in1934 to extract gasoline from "wet gas", a mixture of natural gas and gasoline. B/A also built pipelines from well-heads to refineries as well as purchasing several oil refineries in Alberta, and Saskatchewan. By 1938 B/A was constructing a new refinery in Calgary, Alberta, it operated 5 ocean tankers, 5 lake tankers, and 450 railway tank cars. B/A's subsidiaries extended into several U.S. states, including wells on the grounds of the Oklahoma state capitol building.〔(History of British American Oil ). Retrieved 2015-04-07〕 During the Second World War the Clarkson, Ontario plant was modified to produce aviation fuel, the B/A tanker fleet was redirected for cross-Atlantic service, and B/A completed the Montreal-Portland pipeline to provide year-round delivery of crude oil from Venezuela to the Montreal East Refinery. B/A constructed a gas re-pressurizing and recycling system at Longview, Alberta to conserve the declining resources of the Turner Valley Field. During construction of the Alaska Highway, B/A provided more than 100 large storage tanks at various locations along the highway to provide the U.S. Army Corp. of Engineers with fuel. B/A expanded in the U.S. with wells near Casper, Wyoming. in 1946 B/A expanded its operations from coast to coast with the purchase of the Canadian assets of Union Oil Company of Canada, including the former British Columbia Refining Company Ltd. refinery in Port Moody, British Columbia and its distribution network on the West Coast and Vancouver Island; and in 1946 began distribution of its products in Newfoundland.〔〔〔(City of Port Moody, Minutes - Regular Meeting of Council, September 11, 2012 ). Retrieved 2015-04-07〕 After the war, the Gulf Oil Corporation acquired 20% ownership of B/A. In the 1950s senior management at B/A became more integrated with Gulf Oil Corp as Gulf's ownership increased. New refineries were was opened in Edmonton and Moose Jaw and the company's tanker fleet expanded to 22. B/A constructed a new eight-storey headquarters building in Toronto. In 1955 the company's oil production reached a record 10.5 million barrels and its reserves of 113 million barrels of crude oil and 404 billion cubic feet of gas, with the total annual refinery output exceeding 33 million barrels.〔 During the 1940s, 1950's, and 1960's, in addition to petroleum products, B/A also issued its own credit cards, road maps, monthly Timely Station Topics Magazine and B/A Commentator Magazine, and sponsored a television game show. In 1966 B/A sold its remaining US assets, the British-American Oil Producing Company, to Dallas-based Chared Corporation.〔(446 F. 2d 745 - Chared Corporation v. United States, Open Jurist ). Retrieved 2015-04-07〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Gulf Canada」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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