Arend Petroleum Company, Historical oil refinery building in Oranjestad, Aruba
The Arend Petroleum Company is a protected heritage building on L.G. Smith Boulevard in Oranjestad, recognized as a cultural monument in Aruba. It was part of a larger complex that included wooden bungalows, tennis courts, and a swimming pool built for workers and their families.
The company was founded in 1927 as Compania Mexicana de Petrol el Aguila and operated as a subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell Group. Over the following decades it became one of the main economic forces on the island before eventually closing down.
The name comes from the Dutch word for eagle, which was the symbol of the company. This motif shaped the design of the workers' settlement that once surrounded the building.
The building is easy to spot from L.G. Smith Boulevard and can be seen from the street without entering. It sits in the center of Oranjestad, within walking distance of other points of interest along the main road.
During World War II, in 1942, the complex was attacked by German submarines, forcing a temporary shutdown of operations. Oil processing was then redirected to other sites until the facility could resume its work.
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