“We are always looking for ways to add value to our customers and this is a prime example of how you can take a customer need and put some fresh thinking and ingenuity into the process to come up with a great solution,” says Atlas Oil CEO.
Taylor, Mich.-based Atlas Oil Co. is now transloading crude oil for a major refiner at its newest transloading facility in Odessa, Texas. In its initial phase, Atlas is transloading 30,000 barrels per month, but the site is expected to be handling up 
to 90,000 barrels in the future.
“This is an extremely exciting new business opportunity for Atlas,” said Sam Simon, CEO and owner of Atlas Oil. We are always looking for ways to add value to our customers and this is a prime example of how you can take a customer need and put some fresh thinking and ingenuity into the process to come up with a great solution.”
The crude is being brought in through a third party from a well site in west Texas. Atlas then uses its transloader to transfer the crude onto rail cars so the crude can be distributed to the southern Texas market. In the past, crude was trucked to terminals but capacity was limited and freight charges were increasing.
Transloading onto rail cars has proven to be more efficient and cost effective. Previously, there was no available track space in Odessa, but Atlas identified the need and obtained the necessary rail space to accommodate this new business operation.
The Atlas Odessa transloading site is a multi-function facility, allowing for transloading of both crude as well as renewable fuels, such as ethanol and biodiesel. It is the third transloading site owned and operated by Atlas; the other two are located in Albuquerque, N.M. and La Feria, Texas and are currently handling ethanol and biodiesel.
Atlas Oil Co. is a national fuel supply and distribution company that meets the fuel and service needs of businesses, municipalities and government agencies in 23 states. Atlas also supplies fuel to nearly 400 gasoline convenience stores throughout Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio.
