Duncan and Stephens County, in south-central Oklahoma, took a historic step toward an energy-secure future as the Duncan Area Economic Development Foundation (DAEDF) and Stephens County Commissioners hosted a groundbreaking ceremony for Green Fuels Operating.
Green Fuels Operating’s $400 million refinery will be located at the site of a former refining complex dating back to the 1920s, bringing clean-engineered fuel production, career-level jobs, and long-term economic investment to Stephens County.
The ceremony drew state and federal officials, including Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) and Lt. Governor Matt Pinnell, alongside 125 community leaders and supporters who gathered to mark the first major industrial investment at the site in more than four decades, and what officials are calling one of the most significant private energy investments in Oklahoma in a generation.
A historic site returns to productive use
The road to today’s groundbreaking reflects years of coordinated effort between Stephens County, DAEDF, state regulators, and private partners to responsibly reclaim and redevelop one of the region’s most significant brownfield properties.
The former Sunray Corporation/Sun Oil Company/Tosco Corporation refinery operated as an aviation fuel producer from the 1920s until 1947, then as a general oil refinery and hydrocarbon storage facility through 1983, when Tosco Corporation closed the facility. Following closure, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality (ODEQ) conducted extensive environmental investigations. Through subsequent legal proceedings, ConocoPhillips Corporation was identified as the responsible party for remediation and has since completed the required environmental cleanup.
Stephens County took ownership of the site in 2004. ODEQ has now certified the property for brownfield redevelopment, subject to recorded covenants and use limitations, a critical milestone that cleared the path for new industrial investment.
In February 2026, DAEDF entered into a management agreement with Stephens County to market, promote, and facilitate economic development at the property. As the successor to the Duncan Industrial Foundation and the region’s lead economic development organization since 1954, DAEDF began actively recruiting businesses for the site. The partnership with Green Fuels Operating is the first major result of those efforts.
“This groundbreaking is a proud moment for Stephens County,” stated Lyle Roggow, President and CEO of DAEDF. “For decades, this property was a major employer and economic driver for our community. Thanks to the work of our county partners and state regulators, and to the vision of Green Fuels Operating, we are finally seeing this iconic site return to productive use. We look forward to the jobs, investment, and opportunity this redevelopment will bring to Stephens County families for generations to come.”
Facility overview
Green Fuels Operating’s new facility will have an initial refining capacity of 30,000 barrels per day, expandable to 50,000, with storage for up to one million barrels. The refinery will operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year across three shifts, producing a diverse portfolio of refined products including asphalt, naphtha, kerosene, diesel, gasoline and aviation fuel.
The project will create 75 to 80 permanent full-time jobs, along with hundreds of indirect positions throughout the region, in skilled trades, engineering, operations, and technician roles — positions the company describes as stable, lasting six-figure careers rather than entry-level employment, right here in Stephens County. By creating jobs and investing capital, the company will qualify for all applicable state statutory incentives.
Green Fuels Operating deploys advanced, patented hydrocarbon processing technology, using flash vacuum separation and a closed-loop emissions capture system to reduce emissions, recover vapors, and operate at lower processing temperatures than conventional refining.
“We’re bringing the refinery back to Oklahoma. I’m not talking about it, I’m not studying it, I’m not running the numbers one more time. We’re actually doing it,” said Derek Williamson. CEO of Green Fuels Operating. “America has spent 50 years losing refineries. We made a decision: we’re going to change that story. Refining is coming home, and we’re just getting started.”
Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04), a senior member of Congress and longtime advocate for Oklahoma’s energy sector, underscored the strategic importance of domestic refining capacity. “This is an important step in being energy independent. We don’t just want to produce the product; we want to refine the product. We want to do it here in Oklahoma. This is going to be a great source of jobs, revenue, and pride for the community of Duncan. This is a big turnaround for the state of Oklahoma getting back in the refining business.”
Lt. Governor Matt Pinnell highlighted the project’s importance to rural Oklahoma and the state’s competitive economic development environment. “This project represents a major vote of confidence in Oklahoma with a capital investment of approximately $400 million. Investments like this strengthen our local economies, expand our tax base, and create opportunities across all 77 counties of our state. Oklahoma is competing nationally and globally for projects like this, and today proves that Oklahoma can compete and can win.”
The Stephens County site has a long industrial heritage, previously home to a refinery operated by Sunray Oil and later Tosco beginning in the 1920s. The new development breathes new life into that legacy while applying 21st-century engineering and environmental standards.
Nationally, the project stands out against a sobering backdrop: the number of U.S. refineries has dropped from 255 in 1977 to just 124 today, with most remaining facilities built before World War II. Green Fuels Operating represents a deliberate reversal of that trend.
“We are honored to break ground on this project and to invest in the future of Duncan and Stephens County. This site has a proud industrial legacy, and our goal is to build on that legacy by bringing clean fuel production, quality jobs, and long-term economic benefits back to this community,” said Derek Williamson, CEO, Green Fuels Operating. “We are grateful for the partnership of DAEDF and the Stephens County Commissioners, and we look forward to growing alongside this region.”
