Explorer Pipeline Company recently announced the construction of a multimillion-dollar project underway in Houston.
A 28,000-barrel water tank, the equivalent of a nearly 1.2-million-gallon tank, is currently being designed for Explorer’s Fauna Tank Farm in Harris County. The tank is being built for the Harris County Emergency Services District 12 Fire Department which services surrounding schools, neighborhoods and the Harris County Fire Department.
“Ensuring safety for the community is of the utmost importance to Explorer,” Mark Hurley, president and CEO of Explorer Pipeline, said in a May press release. “One of the services Explorer focuses on is providing and assisting surrounding communities with the safety resources they need. We strongly believe in making these communities a better place to live, work, and raise a family, and that includes doing our part to keep residents safe.”
Edward Russell, Harris County Emergency Services District 12 fire chief, is confident that the water tank will provide added safety to the community and enhance the reputation of the fire department.
“The joint efforts of Explorer Pipeline and the Harris County ESD 12 Fire Department resulted in a positive outcome to improve community safety,” Russell said in the release.
Explorer Pipeline’s involvement in the project reaffirms its commitment to supporting city and local fire departments and ensuring safety and protection for their communities.
The company also announced that it is funding scholarships for two Harris County firefighters to attend a week-long training course in College Station, Texas.
Explorer Pipeline is a common carrier pipeline transportation company headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma; with offices also in Texas, Illinois and Indiana. It was formed in the late 1960s by the combined shareholders of Apco Oil Company, Cities Service Company, Continental Oil Company, Gulf Oil Company, Phillips Petroleum Company, Shell Oil Company, Sun Oil Company and Texaco Inc. The company transports refined petroleum products through a 1,872-mile pipeline system that extends from Port Arthur, Texas, to the upper Midwest and provides service to more than 70 major population areas across 16 states.
Hurley has been Explorer Pipeline’s president and CEO and president since 2020, the company’s website said. Previously, he served as CEO at Blueknight Energy Partners, LP, where he focused on improving the health, safety and environmental performance of the company while growing the company. Hurley holds a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from North Carolina State University.