Wichita Falls Exposure Map
● Critical ● High ● Moderate
Major Asbestos Exposure Sites
| Facility | Industry | Risk Level | Active Period | Est. Workers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texaco Wichita Falls Refinery | Petroleum refining | Critical | 1920s–1980s (closed; asbestos use through 1982) | ~2,500 peak |
| Sheppard AFB – Aircraft Maintenance & Training | Military aviation / technical training | High | 1941–present (asbestos use 1941–1988) | ~8,000 peak military/civilian |
| Continental Emsco – Oil Field Equipment | Oil field equipment manufacturing | High | 1930s–1990s | ~1,500 peak |
| Southwestern Public Service / Xcel Energy | Electric power generation | Moderate | 1920s–present (asbestos use through 1985) | ~800 peak |
| Lone Star Steel – Regional Operations | Steel / oil tubular goods | Moderate | 1940s–1990s | ~600 peak |
Texaco Wichita Falls Refinery
The Texaco refinery in Wichita Falls operated from the early 1920s through the 1980s, processing crude oil from the North Texas Permian Basin extension. Like all petroleum refineries of the era, the facility relied heavily on asbestos insulation for its pipe systems, process vessels, heat exchangers, and boilers. Maintenance contractors — the same pipefitters, insulators, and boilermakers who worked the larger Houston-area refineries — traveled to Wichita Falls for turnaround projects and accumulated exposure at this facility in addition to their Gulf Coast work histories.
Texaco is now part of Chevron following a 2001 merger. Texaco itself went through asbestos litigation exposure for its refinery operations. The key defendants in refinery asbestos cases are the product manufacturers (Owens Corning, Pittsburgh Corning, Manville, Garlock, and others) whose insulation and gasket products were used throughout the facility.
Sheppard AFB: Technical Training and Maintenance Exposure
Sheppard Air Force Base operates one of the Air Force’s largest technical training centers and is home to the Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training program. Maintenance and support facilities on base used asbestos extensively in construction materials and in the aircraft maintenance shops. Civilian employees and military personnel who worked in maintenance shops, boiler rooms, and building renovation projects at Sheppard from the 1940s through the late 1980s may have experienced significant asbestos exposure.
Oil Field Equipment: A Distinct Exposure Category
Manufacturers of oil field equipment used asbestos in pump packing, valve stem packing, gaskets, and thermal insulation for downhole and surface equipment. Workers at Continental Emsco and similar oil field equipment manufacturers who fabricated, repaired, or tested this equipment had direct asbestos exposure that is distinct from refinery or construction exposure — and requires a different set of manufacturer defendants in litigation.