SOHIO

SOHIO, or Standard Oil of Ohio, was an American oil company founded in 1870 by John D. Rockefeller. It was one of the original companies to merge into the Standard Oil Trust. For much of its history, SOHIO operated as a regional refiner and marketer of petroleum products in the Midwestern United States. Its operations included oil exploration, production, refining, and marketing through a network of service stations.

The company gained significant prominence in the late 1960s and 1970s with the discovery of vast oil reserves in Alaska's North Slope. This discovery positioned SOHIO as a major player in the oil industry and led to substantial investments in transportation infrastructure, including a portion of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System.

In 1981, SOHIO was acquired by the British Petroleum Company (BP). The acquisition marked the end of SOHIO as an independent entity. BP integrated SOHIO's assets, including its refining capabilities and retail network, into its North American operations. The SOHIO brand name was gradually phased out, although some former SOHIO facilities and infrastructure continued to be operated by BP for many years. The legacy of SOHIO is tied to its significant role in the development of the American oil industry and its pivotal discovery in Alaska.