PETROLEUM INDUSTRY ASSISTS HURRICANE RELIEF

The petroleum industry is aiding victims of last month's Hurricane Andrew with cash, clothing, food, water, and other supplies.

Cash contributions announced as of last week totaled more than $2.7 mil lion for distribution in South Florida and South Louisiana. Petroleum industry employees were collecting relief items such as bottled water and diapers for distribution in those areas.

Shell Oil Co. and its branded service station retailers expect to donate more than $1.5 million in cash. Shell made a $250,000 corporate donation to the American Red Cross, and participating Shell dealers will donate 1 cents/gal of gasoline sales during Sept. 1-15. The company expects to raise about $1.25 million through the program.

Exxon Corp., Mobil Corp., and the Texaco Inc.-Star Enterprise combine gave $300,000 to agencies working in areas devastated by the storm. Mobil's contribution is in addition to a recent $200,000 grant to the Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund.

Chevron Corp. contributed more than $200,000 to the relief effort.

Freeport-McMoRan Inc., New Orleans, gave $100,000 to the Southeast Louisiana Red Cross chapter.

ARCO Alaska Inc. donated $50,000 on behalf of Prudhoe Bay oil field partners to the Red Cross Disaster Fund to help residents in New Iberia, La., struck Aug. 26 by Andrew. Prudhoe Bay owners in 1993-94 are to receive gas handling equipment manufactured at an ARCO fabrication site in New Iberia.

Also, ARCO Oil & Gas Co. gave $10,000 to St. Mary Parish, La., which received major storm damage.

Parsons Corp. gave $25,000 to the Red Cross Disaster Fund to aid New Iberia residents. Parsons also donated funds to support hurricane relief in South Florida, where its employees participated in food distribution and cleanup efforts.

Union Carbide Corp. gave $25,000 to the Red Cross for relief of victims in Louisiana, where it has manufacturing plants at Taft. In addition, a cooperative effort between Carbide and some of its customers is under way to provide construction and cleanup materials to South Florida.

SHIPPING SUPPLIES

Employees of Pennzoil Co. and jiffy Lube stores in the Homestead, Fla area helped deliver 3,000 gal of fresh bottled water to a distribution center near the town.

The first shipment of Pennzoil-Jiffy Lube drinking water arrived Aug. 29 at the distribution point. Pennzoil ordered additional shipments of drinking water from other states for South Florida hurricane victims.

Pennzoil packaged goods trucks are transporting other emergency supplies into disaster areas : Jiffy Lube retail locations are serving as food collection centers. Food collected is turned over to the Red Cross at the end of each day for distribution the next day.

Pennzoil and Jiffy Lube organized similar efforts for victims in southern Louisiana.

The day after Andrew swept across South Louisiana, Conoco Inc. delivered 45 tons of ice and 5,000 gal of drinking water to residents of the area. About 42,000 lb of the ice was donated by an ice company in Dallas. The two companies on Sept. 1 were preparing to take another 21 tons of ice to hurricane victims.

In addition to cash donations, Shell employees in Houston and other locations collected clothing, diapers, bottled water, nonperishable food, and cleaning supplies for Andrew's victims. Shell employees, retirees, and other volunteers will distribute collected items in Florida and Louisiana.

After Andrew ravaged South Florida, Shell employees provided trucks to deliver drinking water to Miami residents.

Although many Texaco retail outlets in South Florida were damaged by the hurricane, emergency crews were able to restore service at 39 Texaco branded service stations in the disaster area.

Texaco Lubricants Co. loaned generators to victims in South Florida and Star's Orlando region sent 4,500 gal of water. Star also donated more than 43,000 gal of gasoline for use by emergency units in Florida. Texaco employees in New Orleans loaded a tractor trailer of food and supplies to relieve victims in the Morgan City, La., area.

Texaco and Star also combined to provide:

A tanker truck to carry 8,500 gal of drinking water to South Florida.
Two tractor trailer loads of food, clothing, and supplies from Houston and Port Arthur and Port Neches, Tex., for victims in Louisiana and South Florida.
Three tractor trailer loads of food and supplies donated by employees in Atlanta for victims in South Florida,
Two truckloads of food and supplies from Orlando to South Florida.

Carbide's cooperative effort will provide nearly 5 million sq ft of plastic construction sheeting for use in rooting and temporary coverage of windows and doors in damaged structures and more than 1 million 30 and 36 gal plastic cleanup bags.

Two Carbide customers volunteered to convert prime resins supplied by Carbide's polyethylene plants at Seadrift, Tex., and Taft into the sheeting. One of the customers, AEP, South Hackensack, N.J., will produce 2.4 million sq ft of the material.

The plastic bags are being donated by Heritage Bag Co., Dallas, and Carbide unit Performance Plastics of Canada. Resin for the bags was donated by Carbide's Star plant, 10 miles south of LaPlace, La., a town severely damaged by Andrew.

AGENCY GRANTS

Mobil's most recent grants includes $200,000 to the Red Cross and $100,000 to the Louisiana Disaster Relief Account. The company also provided special payment arrangements for Mobil credit card customers affected by Andrew.

Texaco and Star gave $100,000 to the Hurricane Andrew Disaster Relief Trust Fund, a matching fund organized by Barnett Bank for use by the Red Cross. Barnett Bank will match the Texaco-Star donation with $100,000.

Texaco gave $50,000 to the Florida State Hurricane Relief Fund created by Gov. Lawton Chiles. Star Enterprise Orlando Region Community Involvement Council donated $5,000 to the Miami Red Cross.

Texaco and the Texaco Foundation pledged $100,000 to the Red Cross in Louisiana. Texaco also gave $50,000 to the State of Louisiana Rural Development Fund/Hurricane Andrew Relief, designated by Gov. Edwin Edwards to assist victims in that state.

Exxon's $300,000 donation went to the Louisiana Rural Development Fund/Hurricane Andrew Relief, American Red Cross, and relief agencies in Florida.