When was the last refinery built in the United States?
As of January 1, 2020, there were 135 operable petroleum refineries in the United States.
The newest refinery in the United States is the Targa Resources Corporation's 35,000 barrels per calendar day (b/cd) condensate splitter in Channelview, Texas, which began operating in 2019. Condensate splitters are distillation units that process condensate, which is lighter than crude oil. Splitter capacity is included as atmospheric distillation units in U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) data.
However, the newest refinery with significant downstream unit capacity is Marathon's facility in Garyville, Louisiana. That facility came online in 1977 with an initial atmospheric distillation unit capacity of 200,000 b/cd, and as of January 1, 2020, it had a capacity of 578,000 b/cd.
Capacity has also been added to existing refineries through upgrades or new construction. Some recent examples of large increases include
- In 2012, Motiva upgraded its refinery in Port Arthur, Texas, making it the largest U.S. refinery, with a capacity of 607,000 b/cd as of January 1, 2020.
- In 2015, Valero expanded its Corpus Christi, Texas refinery after previous expansions, bringing its capacity as of January 1, 2020, to 290,000 b/cd.
The newest refineries currently operating in the United States
| Year built | First operated | Location | Original owner | Original capacity b/cd | Current owner | 2020 Capacity b/cd |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 2019 | Channelview, Texas | Targa Resources | 35,000 | Targa Resources | 35,000 |
| 2016 | 2017 | Corpus Christi, Texas | Magellan Midstream Partners | 42,500 | Magellan Midstream Partners | 42,500 |
| 2015 | 2015 | Corpus Christi, Texas | Buckeye Partners | 46,250 | Buckeye Partners | 60,000 |
| 2015 | 2015 | Houston, Texas | Petromax Refining | 25,000 | Petromax Refining | 25,000 |
| 2014 | 2015 | Dickinson, North Dakota | Dakota Prairie Refining | 19,000 | Marathon | 19,000 |
| 2014 | 2015 | Galena Park, Texas | Kinder Morgan | 42,000 | Kinder Morgan | 84,000 |
| 1998 | 1998 | Atmore, Alabama | Goodway | 4,100 | Goodway | 4,100 |
| 1993 | 1993 | Valdez, Alaska | Petro Star | 26,300 | Petro Star | 55,000 |
| 1991 | 1992 | Ely, Nevada | Petro Source | 7,000 | Foreland | 2,000 |
| 1986 | 1987 | North Pole, Alaska | Petro Star | 6,700 | Petro Star | 19,700 |
| 1985 | 1986 | Prudhoe Bay, Alaska | ARCO | 12,000 | ConocoPhillips | 15,000 |
| 1979 | 1980 | Wilmington, California | Huntway | 5,400 | Valero | 6,300 |
| 1978 | 1979 | Vicksburg, Mississippi | Ergon | 10,000 | Ergon | 26,500 |
| 1978 | 1979 | North Slope, Alaska | ARCO | 13,000 | BP Exploration, Alaska | 6,500 |
| 1977 | 1978 | Lake Charles, Louisiana | Calcasieu | 6,500 | Calcasieu | 128,000 |
| 1976 | 1977 | Garyville, Louisiana | Marathon | 200,000 | Marathon | 564,000 |
| 1976 | 1977 | Krotz Springs, Louisiana | Gold King | 5,000 | Delek | 80,000 |
| 1975 | 1975 | Corpus Christi, Texas | Saber | 15,000 | Valero | 290,000 |
Learn more:
Refinery Capacity Report
Refinery Rankings
U.S. refinery capacity virtually unchanged between 2017 and 2018
Articles on petroleum refining
Last updated: June 23, 2020
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