Fast Facts

• Efficiently processes heavy, sour crude oil, earning it a Nelson Complexity Rating of 11.6.
• Throughput capacity is approximately 325,000 barrels per day (BPD)
• Employs approximately 800 individuals
• Located on 4,000 acres
• Commissioned in 1901, the Port Arthur refinery has had many upgrades since then

Overview
Acquired in 2005, the Port Arthur, Texas, refinery strengthens Valero’s Gulf Coast refining network and its strategy of processing cheaper, heavier sour feedstocks into premium, cleaner-burning fuels. In 2001, nearly $850 million was invested in a delayed coker and hydrocracker to enable the plant to run heavy, sour crude. Plus, we have a contract through 2011 for 206,000 BPD of Maya crude oil, which is purchased at substantial discounts to West Texas Intermediate prices.

Other investments, including the recent expansion of the coker to 105,000 BPD from 85,000 BPD, and the current expansion of the crude and vacuum units, have increased the refinery’s ability to process lower cost, heavy sour crude oil and have increased throughput capacity to 325,000 BPD .

Output
Port Arthur’s production includes conventional, premium and reformulated gasoline before oxygenate blending, as well as diesel, jet fuel, petrochemicals, petroleum coke and sulfur. Major refinery units include:

• 325,000-BPD crude unit
• 77,000-BPD fluid catalytic cracking unit
• 105,000-BPD coker unit
• 51,000-BPD catalytic reformer
• 45,000-BPD hydrocracker

Location/Access
Valero’s Port Arthur, Texas refinery, is strategically located on the Texas Gulf Coast, approximately 90 miles east of Houston. The refinery’s location accommodates its extensive logistics system, which includes access to Gulf Coast waterborne crude oil via the refinery docks or through the Nederland, TX, terminals of Sun or Oil Tanking. Refinery production is distributed into the Colonial Pipeline, Explorer Pipeline, and Teppco Pipeline or across the refinery docks into ships or barges. The refinery also has convenient truck-rack access.

Please click here to view the Port Arthur refinery operational flow diagram