U.S. Oil Refining Capacity Breaks Record in 2019

U.S. crude oil refining capacity grew by nearly 1 percent in 2019, or 173,650 barrels per day (bpd) to nearly 19 million bpd, a new record, according to a report released on Wednesday by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA).

The report on national refining capacity was assembled from reports filed by owners of the nation’s 135 refineries. The reports were filed by Jan. 1, 2020. They do not take into account reduced production levels because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The number of total refineries was unchanged, but the number of idle plants grew by one to four, the EIA said.

Independent U.S. refiner Marathon Petroleum Corp continues to be the nation’s largest. The combined throughput capacity of the company’s 16 refineries is 3.07 million bpd, equal to 16% of the national total.

The increase in national capacity came from incremental growth in production capabilities at multiple plants across the country.

Marathon’s capacity grew by 42,285 bpd with increases at the company’s refineries in Garyville, Louisiana, and Catlettsburg, Kentucky, as well as other plants.

Fellow independent Valero Energy Corp, remains the nation’s second-largest refiner at 2.18 million bpd.

Exxon Mobil Corp, one of the world’s largest corporations, is the third-largest refiner at 1.75 million bpd. Exxon’s capacity grew by 15,200 bpd, all at the company’s Baton Rouge, Louisiana, refinery.

Phillips 66, also an independent refiner, is the nation’s fourth largest at 1.7 million bpd.

Chevron Corp, PBF Energy, Royal Dutch Shell Plc, Citgo Petroleum Corp, BP Plc, and Koch Industries’ Flint Hills Resources LP are the others among top 10 refiners.

Motiva Enterprises is the 11th largest refiner. Its only refinery is the nation’s largest in Port Arthur, Texas, with a capacity of 607,000 bpd.

The top 10 refiners are evenly divided between independents and integrated oil companies.

(Reporting by Erwin Seba; Editing by Richard Pullin)