Motiva Norco History
The history of the Motiva Norco Refinery is closely aligned with the history and development of the town. In 1918 the New Orleans Refining Company purchased 366 acres of rice, indigo, and sugar cane fields from the Good Hope Plantation and began operating it as an oil terminal later that year.
The Norco location provided an ideal hub for importing and shipping of oil products. Discoveries of large deposits of crude oil in the lower Mississippi Delta region led to development of refining capabilities.
When the New Orleans Refining Company first located to the area, it offered vast employment opportunities and unique incentives for those interested in joining the company. In 1919, the company provided its employees with on-site living quarters, schools, and recreational facilities. As the town grew around the facility, it adopted the name Norco, which was the acronym for New Orleans Refining Company.
In 1929, Shell acquired full ownership of the Norco facility and constructed the first refining units. Since then, we have undergone numerous changes, in both our plant and company.
Families expanded and moved out to their own homes bordering the company's fence lines. As the years passed, many cousins, brothers, sisters, sons and daughters of employees recognized the quality of life associated with the petrochemical businesses and found jobs in the petrochemical industry prevalent in the area. Other family members followed different career paths, opening businesses and raising families within a short distance of the Plant, helping to enrich St. Charles Parish with citizens as well as increased revenues.
During the course of the last 35 years, chemical process units were built along side the refining units and the site operated as a refining and chemical manufacturing complex. In 1998, Shell Oil Products Company took a bold step putting together a merger between two primary oil companies. In our case, it was a merger with Texaco and Saudi Aramco, which had previously formed a company called Star. The refining and chemical businesses officially separated at that time and the Shell Norco Refining Company became a division of Motiva Enterprises. In February 2002, Texaco exited the merger and Motiva Enterprises became a 50/50 joint venture between Shell and Saudi Aramco.
Today, Motiva Norco is the workplace for nearly 700 full-time employees and approximately 300 contractors.
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