Matthew Day, an independent scholar and historian located in Lubbock has recently released Refiner on the Rise: How the Cosden Petroleum Corporation’s Refinery Bucked the Trend of Imports and Charted a Path for Survival Amid Changing ... Industry (And Did It in 1950s West Texas).
Day specializes in oil and agricultural/ranching history. The written work was released in July 22, 2024. The piece center’s around the 1950’s and more specifically the history of the Big Spring area, its growth and overall importance in the oil industry.
At the time, Big Spring was off the beaten path from any major notoriety, however, the area that has come to be known as the Delek Refinery has been operating for the better part of a century.
For its first 35 years or so, it was known as the Cosden Petroleum Corporation refinery.
As the 1950’s progressed, many American oil companies saw their best chances at success through drilling abroad. On the opposite side of the business model, Cosden enjoyed success drilling and refining, or breaking down oil at home.
It had the benefit of not one, but two, large oil fields less than 100 miles away from its refinery. It also managed to overcome tax hurdles that had remained in place for nearly a quarter century, namely with regard to tax-andspend policies coming from the halls of Congress.
Refiner on the Rise takes the overall history of what Cosden became and how it flourished within the industry at a time that was not expected. Additionally, the piece takes a deeper dive into those that made history within the area along with putting a spot light on the relationships built within the company and how the industry was affected from it.