Texas-based refinery has a long history

The Valero Port Arthur Refinery was commissioned in 1901 and has had many process additions and improvements throughout its history. In 2001, nearly $850 million was invested in a delayed coker and hydrocracker to enable the plant to run heavy and sour crude.

The Valero refinery near Port Arthur, Texas

Other investments include the recent expansion of the coker to 95,000 bpd from 85,000 bpd. The most recent expansion of the crude and vacuum units has increased the refinery’s ability to process lower-cost, heavy sour crude oil and increased throughput capacity to 310,000 bpd. The 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 water-borne crude oil via the refinery docks or through the Nederland, Texas, terminals of Sun or Oil Tanking. The milestones of this refinery are:

• Commissioned in 1901, with many upgrades since then
• One of four refineries acquired in the purchase of Premcor in 2005
• Total throughput capacity of 310,000 bpd
• Has ability to process 100% sour crude oil, of which up to 80% can be heavy sour crude oil 
• Production includes conventional conventional, premium and reformulated gasoline before oxygenate blending, as well as diesel, jet fuel, petrochemicals, petroleum coke and sulfur
• Strategically located on 4,000 acres on the Port Arthur Ship Channel
• Crude oil received from the Valero dock or by pipeline
• The Port Neches dock’s crude oil receipts transferred by the Valeroowned Lucas pump station, located about 13 miles from the refinery
• Refinery production distributed into the Colonial Pipeline, Explorer Pipeline and Teppco Pipeline or across the refinery docks into ships or barges
• Employs approximately 820 individuals.

Awards and honors.

This refinery is one of only two Texas refineries Environmental Management System certified. It is TCEQ Clean Texas Program Bronze member and has received EPA National Partnership for Environmental Priorities, 2008 Pollution Prevention Achievement Award. This refinery has attained more than 1 million hours without a lost-time injury.