Hart Refineries Being Enlarged – 1933 (Ram Field originally Hart Oil)
Hart Refineries Being Enlarged
Fuel Is Produced by Local Industry in the Most Modern Way.
The city of Missoula is located many miles from the nearest proved oil fields, yet here in Missoula is located as modern and up-to-date an oil refinery as can be found within the country.
Hart Refineries are a strictly independently owned and managed Missoula industry. C. W. Hart, its president and general manager, operated a small refinery at Hedgesville, Mont., for some years. Wishing to enlarge his operations, Mr. Hart set out to investigate likely locations, and ultimately located his new plant in Missoula. He was impressed with the potential market within the city and the splendid territory to be served from Missoula. He conferred with the chamber of commerce, and with many leading business men of the city, and was impressed with the methods and trade ethics of Missoula merchants.
Mr. Hart neither asked for, nor did he receive, any bonus or financial inducements of any nature to induce him to locate his refinery in Missoula. He purchased his present site of some 12 acres, and construction work was started late in March 1924, and by late summer gasoline was, for the first time, actually being refined in Missoula.
The refinery, as first operated, was of the type known as “straight run,” or “skimming process.” There are today some 16 oil refineries of this type in Montana, only about half of which are operating. Under the “straight run” process only about 25 per cent of the average crude oil can be converted into gasoline, and the technical minds of the industry long recognized the necessity of a more efficient process of refining. Exhaustive study and experimenting developed the idea of “cracking” the heavier oils, making it possible more than to double the percentage of gasoline obtained from the crude.
Determined to give Western Montana the benefits of modern practice, Mr. Hart rebuilt his Missoula refinery and installed the necessary equipment to convert it into the most modern type of “cracking plant.” There are but three other “cracking plants” in the state, and it was said, only one other is actually operating at present.
The developing of higher-speed, higher-compression motors, as now used in practically all makes of motor cars, has brought about the necessity of higher octane gasoline to overcome the tendency of “knocking” in the motor. Motor knock is not only unpleasant to hear, but is most decidedly detrimental to the motor itself. It is only by the modern “cracking” process that high octane gasoline can be produced, and his in a great measure accounts for the fast-growing demand for Missoula-made Hart blue-green, high-octane gas.
Hart refineries also produce a regular water-white gasoline, better in quality than standard gasoline of a few years ago; also two types of tractor fuels, the one called Hart Green Tractor fuel being just below the gravity requirement of gasoline, and it is said, has no competitor of like rating within the state; their second quality, or Amber Tractor fuel, is a kerosene distillate type similar to that produced at certain other Montana refineries. Among the other products of Hard Refineries, and produced in Missoula are kerosene, domestic fuel oils, Diesel oil, road oil, asphalt and petroleum coke.
Increasing demand has again made it necessary to increase the plant and several thousand dollars are being expended at the present time in reconditioning and enlarging the Missoula refinery, proving that the residents of Missoula and neighboring valleys appreciate this Western Montana Industry and its quality products.
The above article appeared in The Sunday Missoulian on April 30, 1933.
https://www.newspapers.com/image/352118391/
Hart refineries were located near what is now the Old Sawmill site in Missoula. Ram field was originally a part of their refinery.
Charles W. Hart, inventor, was the subject of an earlier article on this website – see link below: