Shamrock Oil
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Shamrock Oil is an oil company based mostly in the American southern states. It was founded on August 9, 1929, by then owner John Sheerin. It was named as a symbol of his native Ireland. The company was headquartered in Amarillo, Texas and financed by the Fownes family of Pennsylvania. Its first refinery was built in 1933 at Sunray, in Moore County, Texas, and that same year the company opened its first gas station, also at Sunray. In its early years Shamrock Oil and Gas lost some $9 million. In 1967 Shamrock Oil and Gas Company and Diamond Alkali merged to form the Diamond Shamrock. While the standard Shamrock stations contain a three leaf clover as its logo, the Diamond Shamrock stations contain an interlocking set of three green diamonds as its logo. In 1978 the company headquarters were moved to Dallas, Texas. In 1987 the Diamond Shamrock Refining and Marketing Company was separated from Diamond Shamrock Corporation, the parent company, and became an independent company headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. As of December 31, 2001 the company was bought out by Valero. Due to this buy out a conversion period began, leaving few actual Shamrock stations in existence.
Valero announced that the Diamond Shamrock name will be phased out in favor of the Valero name; however, the Shamrock name will be retained as a discount brand.
[edit] Media References
- Shamrock gas stations were mentioned in the play and film Sordid Lives, written by Del Shores.
