Oleum

Few communities in California have a history as closely bound to oil refining as Oleum. This unincorporated Contra Costa County settlement occupies the south shore of the Carquinez Strait, the tidal passage between San Pablo and Suisun bays. Union Oil established a refinery here in 1890, and the community’s unusual name comes from the Latin word for oil. Industry still defines the immediate waterfront, while the strait places Oleum within the working maritime corridor of the northern San Francisco Bay. Nearby Crockett, long associated with sugar refining, adds another chapter to this industrial shoreline. Continue through nearby webcams to explore different parts of the Carquinez Strait shoreline.

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