Hunt Facts

Hunt Refining
The Hunt family of companies always takes a contrarian view when it comes to our operations.  We are often pioneers in new areas or technologies. Click on the headings below to learn more about some unique Hunt Facts.
Hunt Oil
  • East Texas Discovery
    • During the 1930 oil boom, H.L. Hunt, after learning to trade leases and drilling in Arkansas, heard of an East Texas driller trying to fund a drill stem test. After witnessing Joiner's Daisy Bradford No. 3 test near Kilgore, Texas, H.L. Hunt bought Joiner's lease out "lock stock and barrel," financing the deal with the first-of-its-kind agreement to make payments from future "down the hole" production. The Daisy Bradford No. 3 turned out to be the discovery well of the great East Texas field and, at the time, the greatest oil field in the world.
  • Early Supporters of Recycling
    • Founder H.L. Hunt firmly believed that over drilling would kill oil fields pre-maturely. In 1939, the Long Lake Recycling Plant was the first gas recycling plant in the country to open. He used this plant to help maintain pressures in the East Texas field. Two years later he supported the foundation of the East Texas Salt Water Disposal Company. By re-injecting the salt water pump out into the basin, good oil pressure was maintained. This enabled the East Texas field to supply the majority of fuel used by Allied forces in WWII.
  • First Oil in Alabama
    • Hunt Oil Company developed the first commercial oil well in Alabama, in 1944; The A.R. Jackson No. 1 well was discovered in the Gilbertown field in Choctaw County, Alabama, near the Mississippi border.
  • Oil in the North Sea
    • In 1976, Hunt Oil Company discovered oil in the Moray Firth area of Scotland. This was the first confirmed oil in that area of the North Sea, and over 100 miles away from the nearest commercial production area. It became known as the Beatrice field and is still in production today.
  • Once in a Lifetime - Discovering an Entire New Basin
    • In the ancient nation of the Republic of Yemen, the company once again defied conventional wisdom to explore for oil where others chose not to look. In 1984, with what was called the "rankest wildcat" the company ever drilled, the Alif No. 1 well discovered the prolific Alif field - and an entire new basin for industry exploration. Now the same field is fueling a new world class Yemen LNG processing plant. The facility officially opened on October 15, 2009, with the first ship launching from the Balhaf terminal the following month on November 7, 2009.
  • First Three-Dimensional Seismic in the Gulf of Mexico
    • With antiquated computers (by today's standards) and manual stacking of data, Hunt Oil Company managed the world's first three-dimensional offshore seismic study of the salt dome beneath Eugene Island Block 77 field.
  • Top Investment Ratings
    • Hunt Oil Company is one of less than 10 private companies in the United States with investment grade ratings. With a 75 year history, Hunt Oil Company is also among the 100 largest private companies in the United States founded before 1940.
  • Top in Safety
    • Hunt Consolidated, Inc. and its subsidiaries are known for their excellent safety records. This was highlighted in 2008, when there were no lost time accidents for the entire year - across the company.
Hunt Refining
  • Oldest Continually Operated Refinery in the State of Alabama
    • Founded in 1946 to process oil from the Gilbertown field, the Tuscaloosa-based Hunt Refining Company is the oldest continually operated refinery in the state of Alabama. In 2010, the refinery completed a $900 million expansion project. The expansion increased the refinery's capacity to handle 72,000 barrels of crude oil per day and doubled the amount of gasoline and diesel fuel it is able to produce to 55,000 barrels per day.
Hunt Realty
  • Reunion Complex
    • In 1974, Ray L. Hunt, son of Hunt Oil Company founder H.L. Hunt, convinced the City of Dallas to get involved in one of Dallas' first public-private partnerships. The resulting Reunion Complex – consisting of the Hyatt Regency Dallas Hotel and Reunion Tower – transformed an underutilized sector of downtown Dallas into a successful hotel and entertainment center and emerged as one of the most recognizable Dallas landmarks.
  • Sharyland Business Park
    • In the early 1970s, Hunt acquired 6,000 acres in the Rio Grande Valley along the border of Texas and Mexico. After holding the land for many years as agricultural property, the passing of the North American Free Trade Agreement spurred the development of the Sharyland Business Park in 1998. Today, Sharyland Plantation is emerging as a premier multi-decade, mixed-use development.
  • American Newland
    • In 2003, with the financial backing of Hunt Realty, operating partner American Newland became the largest master-planned community developer in the nation.
  • Anzalduas International Bridge
    • Hunt donated 475 acres of land in Mission, Texas to help build the Anzalduas International Bridge and highway. The bridge opened on January 11, 2010 and allows traffic between Mexico and the U.S. At 3.4 miles this is the longest bridge that connects the two countries.
Hunt Investment Group
  • Hunt Investment Group
    • Hunt Investment Group and its affiliates have owned complete or partial interest in over 75 private companies, and with over 40 third-party private equity, venture capital and hedge fund managers since 1996.
PERU LNG
  • First LNG Plant in South America
    • On June 10, 2010, PERU LNG and Peruvian government officials inaugurated the first gas liquefaction plant in South America. The two LNG storage tanks at Melchorita are the largest in Peru, measuring 80 meters in diameter and 52 meters in height, with the capacity to each hold 130,000 m3 of LNG.
  • Guinness Book of World Records - The Highest Gas Pipeline in the World
    • The PERU LNG natural gas pipeline reaches an elevation of over 4,900 meters above sea level as it crosses the Andes Mountains. It runs 408 km from Ayacucho to the Pampa Melchorita processing plant on the Pacific coast of Peru. Guinness World Records certified this as the highest natural gas pipeline in the world.
Sharyland Utilities
  • Unique Creation
    • When Sharyland Utilities was authorized by the Texas Public Utilities Commission in 1999, it became the first greenfield electric utility in the United States, since Disney World's Reedy Creek District in the late 1960s. It originally served only the area around the 6,000-acre planned community of Sharyland Plantation.
  • First Direct Current Tie Between Mexico and Texas
    • In 2007, Sharyland Utilities celebrated the completion of the DC Tie. They built an electrical interconnection between the Texas and Mexico power grids. The cross-border tie is the first of its kind to support both emergency power and commercial business activity in Texas and Mexico. The 150-megawatt High Voltage Direct Current Tie allows two-way electricity transfers between completely independent power grids, which supports economic development and increased reliability of both grids.
  • Creation of REITs
    • In 2010, Sharyland Utilities helped Hunt create a first-of-a-kind investment vehicle to finance electricity transmission and distribution assets through Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs). Hunt was the first to conceive of the concept to finance energy infrastructure through REITs, and Sharyland Utilities was the first utility to contribute its assets. In November 2010, Hunt partnered with four major investment institutions to create the Electric Infrastructure Alliance of America (EIAA) and the Gas Infrastructure Alliance of America (GIAA), two new REITS that are the first of their kind in the electricity and natural gas transmission and distribution sector. These will allow companies to invest in the energy infrastructure and gas storage and delivery sectors in the United States.
Hoodoo Land and Cattle Company
  • Charolaise Beef
    • On the Wyoming based Hoodoo Ranch, they raise Charolaise (shar-o-lay) cattle, a French breed of beef cattle known for its all white coat and hardiness. With meat similar to the more famous Angus, this is a larger and hardier breed that can withstand the cold winters of Wyoming very well. Hoodoo Ranch was among the first to introduce this breed to the state.
HQ Facts
  • LEED Silver Certification
    • The Hunt Headquarters was honored by the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) with a Silver certification for Commercial Interiors in 2009. From the way the building was built to how it runs, all factors were considered. To earn this award the building met stringent credit qualifications in the areas of sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, indoor environment quality and innovation in design.
  • The Sail
    • The 480,000 square-foot Hunt Headquarters is distinguished by an unusual sail and ellipse facade fronting the North end of the building. The glass of the sail is curved top to bottom; the material was fabricated in the United States, shipped to China where it was cut, rolled and assembled into laminated units, and then shipped back to Dallas.
  • Artistic Commissions
    • There were several artists involved in multiple commissions for the Hunt Headquarters project, including a Foucault pendulum in the lobby, custom chandeliers and a glass art installation in "The Commons" employee dining space on the top floor.
  • Synchronized Light Displays
    • The exterior of the building features a set of special lights integrated onto the front of the building. More than a million independently colored lights project images as would a giant projector on a screen. The lights and fountains are synchronized and choreographed.
  • Thinking Green
    • Trees and plants in the landscape are a selection of native and adaptive species that provide year-round interest and color while reducing the demand for irrigation. The efficient landscape system is designed to save up to 50 percent of the water compared to a conventional irrigation system. In 2010 the landscaping received a Merit Award from the Texas Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects.
  • Harvesting Daylight
    • The building maximizes the use of natural light by way of a system known as "daylight harvesting." The technique employs light-level sensors to detect available daylight and then adjust the output of electric lights. When it is very bright outside, the inside lights will dim. When it is cloudy outside, the inside lights will brighten. This reduces eye strain for people working. It also reduces the electric bill as the power being consumed is automatically adjusted by the lighting outdoors.