Marathon Oil's Gulfstream V hops from South Bend to Gary with refinery labor talks looming

Marathon Oil's Gulfstream V (N540M) was tracked flying a 20-minute hop from South Bend International Airport (KSBN) to Gary/Chicago International Airport (KGYY) on June 26, reaching a leisurely 275 knots at just under 4,000 feet.

If the registered owner, Marathon Oil, was aboard, the aircraft would arrive in the Chicago area the same week that a strike by 120 unionized workers at the company's Martinez renewable diesel refinery enters its eighth week, as reported by Bay Area Current. The workers, members of USW Local 5, walked out on April 27 over what they call regressive bargaining tactics, and Marathon has since announced layoffs of 46 workers. The timing would suggest a board-level discussion or investor meeting regarding the refinery's operational risk — strikers warn that untreated wastewater could threaten the San Francisco Bay.

The flight's brief duration and low altitude are typical of a positioning or short-hop leg. Recent flight history shows the aircraft has spent much of the week crisscrossing the upper Midwest, including multiple stops in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, and South Bend, consistent with regional site visits or shuttle movements.