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Valero ends fuel production at Benicia refinery

  • Märkte: Oil products
  • 30.04.26

US independent refiner Valero has stopped producing fuels at its 145,000 b/d Benicia refinery, the company said today.

Valero "ceased operation of the fuel production units" after idling processing units through a phased approach in the first three months of 2026, the company said.

Valero first informed the California Energy Commission in April 2025 of its plan for the Benicia refinery. The company has said that California's regulatory and enforcement environment is the most stringent and difficult in North America.

The Benicia closure, in addition to the shutdown last year of Phillips 66's 139,000 b/d Los Angeles refinery, has caused California to lose 17pc of its refining capacity, triggering concerns about the state's tight and often volatile oil products market and the impact on the western US region.

Valero said previously that it plans to import additional gasoline volumes in the near term to meet contractual supply obligations.

California has become increasingly dependent on fuel imports following the refinery closures.

Valero reported a first quarter depreciation expense of about $100mn related to the Benicia shutdown.


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