Texas and U.S. Refineries Map

U.S. Oil Refineries: Current Operations and Future Prospects

As of 2024, the United States has approximately 125 operational oil refineries. These refineries are primarily located along the Gulf Coast, in Texas and Louisiana, as well as in California, the Midwest, and the Northeast. The concentration of oil refineries along the Gulf Coast is due to the region's proximity to offshore oil fields, major shipping routes, and access to crude oil imports. Additionally, this location allows refineries to efficiently distribute refined products both domestically and for export to global markets. California's refineries are mainly clustered near Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area, catering to the West Coast's energy needs.

The largest oil refinery operators in the U.S. include companies like ExxonMobil, Chevron, Marathon Petroleum, Phillips 66, and Valero Energy. These companies process millions of barrels of crude oil daily. After refining, the oil is distributed through pipelines, trucks, and ships, depending on the product and the destination. Domestically, much of the refined oil is sent to large fuel distribution hubs that supply gasoline stations, heating oil providers, and industries requiring petrochemicals.

In terms of the breakdown of refined products, roughly 45% of U.S. refinery output is gasoline, while 30% is diesel fuel, which powers trucks and heavy machinery. Around 20% is used for jet fuel, heating oils, and lubricants, while the remaining 5% is for petrochemicals that are critical for manufacturing plastics, chemicals, and synthetic materials. These products are essential to many sectors, ranging from transportation and agriculture to pharmaceuticals and consumer goods. Gasoline is predominantly consumed by cars, whereas diesel fuels are crucial for the trucking industry and public transportation.

The high demand for refined products has raised questions about whether more refineries will be built in the U.S. to help reduce fuel costs. While no new large-scale refineries have been built since 1977, there are ongoing discussions within the energy industry about expanding current refinery capacities. However, building new refineries is a lengthy and expensive process, and environmental regulations add additional challenges. Thus, while expanding refinery capacity could theoretically reduce costs, most experts agree that it is unlikely to have a dramatic immediate impact on lowering fuel prices.

Although U.S. oil refineries are refining vast amounts of crude oil into essential products, the future of refinery expansion is unclear. With growing interest in renewable energy sources and electric vehicles, the long-term outlook for refining capacity may shift as the world transitions to more sustainable energy solutions. Still, the existing U.S. oil refineries will continue to play a critical role in meeting current energy demands for the foreseeable future.

The ongoing development of infrastructure improvements, technological advancements, and optimization of refinery processes are key to ensuring that U.S. refineries remain efficient and can adjust to the changing demands of the global energy market. These improvements could help maintain or even lower fuel costs, though broader factors such as geopolitical stability, oil supply, and market demand will also play significant roles in the economics of fuel prices in the U.S.

The Refinery Process

Oil refining is a complex, multi-step process that transforms crude oil into useful products like gasoline, diesel, and other chemicals. The first step in the process is distillation, where crude oil is heated and separated into different components based on their boiling points. The lighter fractions, such as gasoline and kerosene, rise to the top of the distillation column, while heavier products like diesel and asphalt remain at the bottom. After distillation, various refining techniques like cracking, reforming, and alkylation are applied to break down heavier hydrocarbons or rearrange molecular structures, improving the quality and yield of finished products.

The final stage of the refinery process involves treating the products to remove impurities such as sulfur and nitrogen, which helps produce cleaner-burning fuels and meets environmental regulations. Refined products are then stored in tanks and distributed through pipelines, tankers, and trucks to their end-use destinations. Refineries operate continuously, refining crude oil around the clock to meet the high demand for fuels and petrochemical products.

Hazards of Refinery Accidents

Oil refineries are inherently dangerous due to the high pressures, temperatures, and flammable materials involved. Accidents can result in catastrophic fires, explosions, and chemical leaks, endangering both workers and nearby communities. Some of the hazards include flammable vapor releases, equipment failures, and human error, all of which can trigger dangerous chain reactions. Toxic chemical exposure is another major risk, as refineries handle substances like hydrogen sulfide and benzene, which can pose serious health risks when leaked into the environment.

One of the most infamous refinery accidents occurred at BP's Texas City refinery in 2005, where a massive explosion killed 15 workers and injured 180 others. The accident was caused by over-pressurization of equipment and faulty safety systems. Another significant incident was the 2012 fire at Chevron’s refinery in Richmond, California, which sent thousands of residents to local hospitals due to exposure to harmful fumes. Such accidents underscore the importance of rigorous safety standards, proper maintenance, and timely upgrades to equipment to prevent similar tragedies from occurring.

While U.S. oil refineries have made strides in improving safety protocols over the years, the potential for deadly accidents remains a major concern in the industry. Regulatory agencies like the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) closely monitor refinery operations, and companies are required to implement risk management programs to minimize hazards. Despite these measures, refinery accidents continue to highlight the delicate balance between maintaining high-output operations and ensuring worker safety and environmental protection.

Texas and U.S. Refinery Production Information from 2015

Layer

U.S. Petroleum Refineries

Abstract

Production output for 2015 sorted by state and name

Information

141 lines

Generated by QuickExport 2016

Feature field abbreviations and acronyms

PADD = Petroleum Administration for Defense District: A geographic aggregation of the 50 States and the District of Columbia into five Districts, with PADD 1 further split into three subdistricts. The PADDs include the States listed below:

PADD 1 (Location East Coast States):
PADD 1A (Location New England States): Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont.
PADD 1B (Location Central Atlantic States): Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania.
PADD 1C (Location Lower Atlantic States): Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia.
PADD 2 (Location Midwest States): Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, and Wisconsin.
PADD 3 (Location Gulf Coast States): Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, and Texas.
PADD 4 (Location Rocky Mountain States): Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Utah, and Wyoming.
PADD 5 (Location West Coast States): Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington.

AD_Mbpd = The volume of crude oil, measured in thousands of barrels per day (Mb/d), processed by the atmospheric distillation chamber of a refinery
VDist_Mbpd = The volume of crude oil, measured in thousands of barrels per day (Mb/d), processed by the vacuum distillation chamber of a refinery
CaDis_Mbpd = The volume of crude oil, measured in thousands of barrels per day (Mb/d), processed by the catalytic disintegration chamber of a refinery
VRedu_Mbpd = The volume of crude oil, measured in thousands of barrels per day (Mb/d), processed by the viscosity reduction chamber of a refinery
CaRef_Mbpd = The volume of crude oil, measured in thousands of barrels per day (Mb/d), processed by the catalytic reformation chamber of a refinery
Isal_Mbpd = The volume of crude oil, measured in thousands of barrels per day (Mb/d), processed by the alkylation and isomerization chambers of a refinery
HDS_Mbpd = The volume of crude oil, measured in thousands of barrels per day (Mb/d), processed by the hydrodesulphurization chamber of a refinery
Cokin_Mbpd = The volume of crude oil, measured in thousands of barrels per day (Mb/d), processed by the coking chamber of a refinery
Asph_Mbpd = The maximum amount of asphalt products, measured in thousands of barrels per day (Mb/d), that can be produced at the refinery