• Was accepted into the Occupational Safety and Health Association's (OSHA) Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) as a Star Site, which recognizes it as one of the safest refineries in the nation
• Produces 10 percent of the clean-burning California Air Resources Board (CARB) gasoline used in California and 25 percent of the CARB used in the San Francisco Bay Area
• Total feedstock throughput capacity of 170,000 barrels per day (BPD)
• Products include propane, butane, CARB gasoline, Ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD), jet fuel, fuel oil, residual oil and asphalt
• Employs approximately 480 individuals
• Located on 800 acres
• Commissioned in 1968, the Benicia refinery has had significant upgrades since that time.

Overview
Valero acquired the Benicia refinery in 2000 and increased the throughput capacity and improved yields in the first year. Built as a grass-roots project in 1969, this plant has undergone significant modifications and upgrades to become what it is today – one of the most complex and profitable refineries in the United States.

Output
This versatile high-conversion facility has the ability to process sour crude oils into a high percentage of light products. Approximately 70 percent of the refinery’s product slate is CARB gasoline – California’s clean-burning fuel. The refinery also has significant asphalt production capabilities and produces 25 percent of the asphalt supply in northern California. Currently, it processes domestic crude both from the San Joaquin Valley (SJV) in California and from the Alaska North Slope (ANS). Major refinery units include:

• 134,000-BPD crude distillation at the fuels plant
• 13,000-BPD crude distillation at the asphalt plant
• 72,000-BPD fluid catalytic cracking unit
• 28,000-BPD coker unit
• 36,000-BPD hydrocracker
• 35,000-BPD catalytic reformer

Location/Access
The Benicia refinery is located approximately 25 miles northeast of San Francisco across the San Francisco Bay. With the refinery’s position on the Carquinez Strait, a tributary of the San Francisco Bay, the refinery receives feedstocks by both ship and pipeline. The refinery also ships products via pipeline, truck, rail, barge and ship.

Benicia refinery operational flow diagram.