MARCUS HOOK — Elected leaders and union officials said Wednesday they are optimistic about finding buyers for three Philadelphia-area refineries that will be closed if they don’t sell.

Earlier this month, Philadelphia-based Sunoco announced it was getting out of the refining business and planned to sell its refineries in Philadelphia and suburban Marcus Hook and focus on its pipelines and retail gas stations. Another company, ConocoPhillips, also is seeking a buyer for its oil refinery in nearby Trainer.

U.S. Rep. Patrick Meehan, a Republican from suburban Philadelphia, along with Reps. Bob Brady and Chaka Fattah, both Philadelphia Democrats, held a private meeting with oil company officials, union leaders and others at a community center in Marcus Hook on Wednesday. Combined, officials estimated that the facilities employ 1,950 full-time workers, along with hundreds of daily contractors.

Meehan said, the demand for oil in the region and across the country will increase as the economy strengthens. The country needs to keep its production up, he said.