In 1983, the Western Research Institute (WRI), an independent research corporation, was established when the U.S. Department of Energy de-federalized the Laramie Energy Technology Center. The Institutes traces its history to 1924, when a petroleum research station was established in Laramie by the Bureau of Mines to support development of Wyomingﾒs petroleum resources.

During World War II, research was directed to the sources and characterization of aviation fuels. Asphalt research began in 1964 and to this day, WRI has continued to build on this history. Shale oil and underground gasification programs were at the fore of research here during the 1970s.