Was Union Oil Company of California (Unocal) / Pure Oil — asbestos documented in litigation?

Union Oil Company of California (Unocal) / Pure Oil — is documented in public asbestos litigation records as a manufacturer whose products contained asbestos during the mid-twentieth century. Workers in industrial facilities, power plants, refineries, shipyards, and commercial construction who handled or worked near these products may have experienced occupational exposure.

Which trades had the most exposure?

Pipe coverers and insulators, pipefitters, boilermakers, millwrights, and maintenance workers are among the trades most frequently documented in asbestos exposure claims. Workers who cut, fitted, or removed asbestos-containing products — and those working in close proximity during that work — typically had the highest fiber concentrations.

How long do workers have to file an asbestos claim?

Statutes of limitations for asbestos personal injury claims vary by state, typically ranging from one to five years from the date of an asbestos-related diagnosis. The clock generally starts at diagnosis, not exposure — mesothelioma can have a latency period of 20 to 50 years. An asbestos attorney can identify the deadlines that apply to your specific situation.

Can workers file claims related to Union Oil Company of California (Unocal) / Pure Oil — asbestos exposure?

Yes. Workers diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, or asbestosis after exposure to Union Oil Company of California (Unocal) / Pure Oil — products may pursue claims through civil litigation. An experienced asbestos attorney can assess available defendants, applicable trust funds from co-defendants, and the states where claims can be filed most effectively.

Can family members file secondary exposure claims?

Spouses, children, and household members who developed asbestos-related disease through contact with contaminated work clothing brought home by an exposed worker may be eligible for secondary (household) exposure claims. Wrongful-death claims can also be filed by surviving family members of workers who died from asbestos-related disease.

Industrial-Furnaces

Union Oil (Unocal) / Pure Oil U.S. Refineries and Petrochemical Plants

⚖ Litigation Record1890-2005 (Union Oil / Unocal); successor Chevron; asbestos era through 1980sAsbestos pipe covering on refinery process piping; asbestos refractory on FCCUs and process heaters; asbestos gaskets and packing; asbestos electrical insulation

Overview Product Facts Trades

Litigation Record: Information below reflects allegations in publicly filed asbestos litigation — plaintiff allegations, not findings of fact.

Premises Description

Union Oil Company of California (Unocal — founded 1890, headquartered Los Angeles CA and later El Segundo CA; acquired by Chevron 2005) and its subsidiary Pure Oil Company (acquired 1965) operated through the 20th century one of the principal U.S. integrated oil majors, particularly dominant on the West Coast. Unocal / Pure Oil operated through the asbestos era U.S. refining and petrochemical sites including:

Los Angeles Refinery (Wilmington CA / Carson CA) — historic Union Oil flagship LA-area refinery
Rodeo Refinery (Rodeo CA) — Bay Area refinery (later Tosco / ConocoPhillips)
San Francisco Refinery (Oleum CA) — historic Bay Area refinery
Santa Maria Refinery (Nipomo CA) — Central Coast refinery
Kenai AK — Alaska refinery
Lemont Refinery (Lemont IL) — Pure Oil legacy Mid-Continent refinery
Beaumont Refinery (Beaumont TX) — Pure Oil legacy Gulf Coast operations
Smiths Bluff TX — petrochemical operations
Chicago IL / Great Lakes — Pure Oil legacy operations

Each operated continuously through the asbestos era with extensive asbestos-containing refinery infrastructure.

Plaintiffs alleged in publicly filed U.S. asbestos personal-injury and wrongful-death litigation that Union Oil / Unocal / Pure Oil — as premises owner — exposed its refinery operator workforce and contractor pipefitters, insulators, boilermakers, and trade workers to extensive asbestos.

Union Oil / Unocal / Pure Oil / Chevron has been named as a Premises Defendant in publicly filed U.S. asbestos personal-injury and wrongful-death litigation.

Workers Exposed

OCAW / USW refinery operators at Unocal / Pure Oil refineries
Refinery pipefitters (UA Local members) working Unocal turnarounds
Insulators (HFIAW Local members) on Unocal construction and turnaround crews
Refinery boilermakers (IBB Local members) at Unocal refineries
Construction-trade workforces on Unocal EPC projects

If You Worked at a Unocal / Union Oil / Pure Oil Refinery

If you worked at a Union Oil Company of California (Unocal) or Pure Oil Company refinery or petrochemical plant during the asbestos era — as an employee or as a dispatched contractor trade worker — and have since been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, lung cancer, or another asbestos-related illness, you may have legal rights.

Free, confidential case evaluation: Speak with O’Brien Law Firm — (314) 936-2956

Product Facts

Trade NameUnion Oil (Unocal) / Pure Oil U.S. Refineries and Petrochemical Plants

Years Produced1890-2005 (Union Oil / Unocal); successor Chevron; asbestos era through 1980s

Asbestos ContentAsbestos pipe covering on refinery process piping; asbestos refractory on FCCUs and process heaters; asbestos gaskets and packing; asbestos electrical insulation

CategoryIndustrial-Furnaces Gaskets

Trust FundNo active trust

Exposed Trades & Occupations

Refinery operatorsPipefittersInsulatorsRefinery boilermakers

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Were You Exposed to an Asbestos-Containing Product?

If you have been diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease and were exposed to asbestos-containing products, you and your family may be entitled to significant compensation through asbestos trust funds and civil litigation. An attorney experienced in product liability and asbestos claims can evaluate your case — at no cost to you.

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Statutes of limitations may limit the time you have to act
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Asbestos Product Liability & Mesothelioma Claims

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