Exhibit 99.1

                           BLUE DOLPHIN ENERGY COMPANY



PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 13, 2006

JOHN N. GOODPASTURE APPOINTED TO BLUE DOLPHIN ENERGY COMPANY BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Houston,  Dec. 13 / PRNewswire / -- Blue Dolphin Energy Company  (NASDAQ:  BDCO)
("Blue Dolphin"), an independent oil and gas company with operations in the Gulf
of Mexico,  today  announced  the  appointment  of John N.  Goodpasture  to Blue
Dolphin's  Board of  Directors  to fill the Board seat  vacated  by a  departing
director.

Mr. Goodpasture, who currently serves as Vice President of Corporate Development
for Texas Eastern  Products  Pipeline  Company,  L.L.C.,  the general partner of
TEPPCO  Partners,  L.P.,  has more  than 35 years of oil and gas  experience  in
pipeline transportation and storage, new business development,  acquisitions and
divestitures.  Prior to joining Texas Eastern  Products  Pipeline  Company,  Mr.
Goodpasture  served  as  Vice  President  of  Business   Development  for  Enron
Transportation  Services.  He also served in various  executive-level  positions
with Seagull  Energy  Corporation,  including  President  of Seagull  Pipeline &
Marketing  Company,  and in a variety of  management  positions at Union Carbide
Corporation, where he began his career in 1970. Mr. Goodpasture also serves as a
director of End Hunger Network of Houston.  Mr. Goodpasture earned a Bachelor of
Science degree in Mechanical  Engineering from Texas Tech University in Lubbock,
Texas.

Blue Dolphin  Energy Company is engaged in the gathering and  transportation  of
natural  gas  and  condensate  and  production  of  oil  and  gas.  For  further
information visit the Company's website at http://www.blue-dolphin.com.

Contact:
Gregory W. Starks
Vice President, Treasurer and Secretary
713-227-7660

Certain of the  statements  included  in this  press  release,  which  express a
belief,  expectation or intention,  as well as those regarding  future financial
performance or results, or which are not historical facts, are "forward-looking"
statements  as that term is defined in the  Securities  Act of 1933, as amended,
and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The words "expect", "plan",
"believe",  "anticipate",  "project",  "estimate",  and similar  expressions are
intended  to  identify   forward-looking   statements.   These   forward-looking
statements  are  not  guarantees  of  future  performance  or  events  and  such
statements involve a number of risks,  uncertainties and assumptions,  including
but not limited to  industry  conditions,  prices of crude oil and natural  gas,
regulatory changes,  general economic conditions,  interest rates,  competition,
and  other  factors.  Should  one  or  more  of  these  risks  or  uncertainties
materialize or should the underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results
and outcomes may differ  materially from those indicated in the  forward-looking
statements.  Readers  are  cautioned  not  to  place  undue  reliance  on  these
forward-looking statements,  which speak only as of the date hereof. The Company
undertakes  no  obligation to republish  revised  forward-looking  statements to
reflect  events  or  circumstances  after  the date  hereof  or to  reflect  the
occurrence of unanticipated events.

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