About Us

About Us

American Gilsonite Company (AGC) is headquartered in Bonanza, Utah. Mining and processing are located in Bonanza, 40 miles from Vernal, in the north-eastern corner of Utah. At Bonanza AGC operates a network of underground uintaite mines, a resin refining plant, and a processing plant with multiple capabilities. Our plants have advanced materials handling and packing facilities, storage silos and bins for 8,000 tons of product and a covered warehouse with multiple loading docks. AGC's quality control labs conduct extensive product testing on every order we ship. AGC currently has about 70 full-time employees, most of them working at the Bonanza Mine Site, and a worldwide agent and distributor network.

AGC has a long history of supplying its Gilsonite-brand uintaite and Gilsonite-brand products for the world market. The material now called uintaite was discovered in the Utah Territory's Uintah Basin in the 1860s. Modern geologists believe that the origin of unitaite is linked to the rich oil shale of the Green River Formation that underlies much of the basin. Deep vertical fissures in the earth's surface were once filled with a heavy, viscous hydrocarbon that lost its volatile constituents and solidified millions of years ago.

Uintaite is a glossy, black, solid hydrocarbon resin similar in appearance to coal or hard asphalt. It is brittle and lightweight and can be easily crushed into powder. Its unique chemical properties identify it as belonging to its own sub-group of the asphaltite family. Uintaite occurs naturally in a very pure state, and softens in a range of temperatures according to grade, from 300 to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (150-205 degrees Celsius). It has low specific gravity, high nitrogen content and very lower sulfur content. It is non-carcinogenic and safe to handle in its natural state.

Development and production of this unique material began in 1885 when Samuel H. Gilson characterized the ore and named it Gilsonite. In 1888, Gilson and a partner formed the Gilsonite Manufacturing Company, AGC's first commercial ancestor. Gilsonite-brand uintaite's earliest applications included paints for buggies and emulsions for beer-vat lining. The name "Gilsonite" has been registered as a federal trademark since 1921 and is American Gilsonite Company's exclusive property.

By the 1920s, Gilson's company became part of Barber Oil Company. American Gilsonite Company was formed in 1946 when Chevron and Barber Oil assumed joint ownership of the Gilsonite operations. Between the 1950s and 1980s, Chevron invested millions of dollars in research, pilot plants and product testing. During the 1970s oil price shocks, research was concentrated on refining energy products from Gilsonite. By the 1980s, Chevron had become the sole owner of AGC and broadened its development efforts to non-energy markets.

In 1991, Chevron divested its ownership in AGC. A newly-independent American Gilsonite Company emerged, with the charter of finding and exploiting the most competitive applications for Gilsonite and Gilsonite products. Chevron's legacy of research and development know-how remains embodied in a Gilsonite refining plant that produces the unique ER Resin, for use in printing inks, and IR Resin, for a variety of oilfield and industrial applications. Today, AGC operates in five major worldwide market sectors: Inks and Paints, Oil, Foundry, Asphalt and Road Paving and Chemical Products. AGC is organized to provide top-level service and support to industrial customers in the Americas, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australasia.