ARCO

ARCO

Atlantic Richfield Company (ARCO) is an American oil company with operations in the United States as well as in Indonesia, the North Sea, and the South China Sea. It has more than 1,300 gas stations in the western part of the United States. ARCO was originally formed by the merger of East Coast-based Atlantic Refining and California-based Richfield Oil Corporation in 1966. A subsequent merger in 1969 brought in Sinclair Oil Corporation. It became a subsidiary of UK-based BP in 2000 through its BP West Coast Products LLC (BPWCP) affiliate. On August 13, 2012, it was announced that Tesoro is purchasing Arco and its refinery for $2.5 billion.

ARCO is known for its low-priced gasoline compared to other national brands, mainly due to an early 1980's decision to emphasize cost cutting (cash/debit-only policy) and alternative sources of income (ampm). ARCO is headquartered in La Palma, California.