Our history: 1929-1910

1929

Marland and Continental Merge

June 26, 1929 - Marland Oil merges with Continental Oil and Transportation Co., forming a new company known as the Continental Oil Company (Conoco). The company owned nearly 3,000 wells and thousands of retail outlets in 30 states and was headquartered in Ponca City, OK.

1000 Service Stations, 15 States

Over 20 years, Continental Oil establishes more than 1,000 service stations in 15 states, each emblazoned with the trademark Continental soldier. It also begins production and refining of crude oil, merging with several other producers yet always retaining the name Continental Oil.

J.P. Morgan Jr. and Marland Oil

Financier J.P. Morgan Jr. obtains control of Marland Oil after oil profits fall. Since his bank had previously extended a $5 million line of credit to Marland, Morgan was able to oust him as president, replacing him with former Texaco executive Dan Moran.

First Phillips Filling Station

Phillips begins selling gasoline in Wichita, KS, the first of more than 10,000 service stations across the country. Phillips enters the refining business by acquiring its first refinery near Borger, TX. The Alamo Plant was soon renamed the Borger Refinery.

Aviation Fuel Innovations

Phillips forms its Aviation department and designs the first aviation refueling trucks. Additionally, the company develops a new, lighter, more efficient Phillips aviation fuel that powers the first flight between the U.S. and Hawaii.

Marland Oil Company Grows

E.W. Marland controls one-tenth of the world’s oil reserves, and Marland Oil Company employs more than a third of Ponca City’s population.

First to Market Propane for the Home

Phillips is the first to develop and market propane for home heating and cooking - Philgas.

Phillips Petroleum Company Founded

Brothers Frank and L.E. Phillips establish Phillips Petroleum Company, headquartered in Bartlesville, OK.

Standard Oil and Continental Oil Split

The U.S. Supreme Court orders Standard Oil to relinquish control of Continental Oil and Transportation Co. in an attempt to prevent a monopoly.

Oil in the Mid-Continent

E.W Marland strikes oil from a well on land leased from the Ponca Indian tribe in Ponca City, OK. The well provides the first real evidence of oil in the mid-continental region, sparking the equivalent of a gold rush for oil. After quickly building a refinery, Marland incorporates Marland Oil Company to market the refined output and builds hundreds of service stations.