U.S. Refining Capacity Remains Steady as of January 2025: EIA

U.S. operable atmospheric distillation capacity, the key measure of refinery capacity, totalled 18.4 million barrels per calendar year (b/cd) on Jan. 1, 2025, flat compared to the previous year, according to a June 30 report published by the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

In 2025, ExxonMobil, Valero, and Marathon—the three largest U.S. refiners—each reported calendar day capacity increases of less than one percent compared to the previous year. These modest gains are likely the result of minor process optimizations rather than major expansions.

There were no significant refinery expansions during 2024. In contrast, several major projects came online in 2023, most notably a substantial expansion at ExxonMobil’s Beaumont refinery in Texas. That project added 240,000 barrels per day (b/d) of capacity, increasing the facility’s total to 609,000 b/d – a significant contribution to U.S. refining capacity growth in 2023.

Over the past decade, most increases in U.S. refinery capacity have stemmed from expansions at existing sites, the reactivation of idled units, or the addition of smaller-scale facilities. Meanwhile, capacity reductions have mostly resulted from retirements caused by damage and from plants shifting away from petroleum refining toward renewable fuel production.

In 2025, Motiva’s Port Arthur refinery reported higher calendar day throughput, reclaiming its status as the largest individual U.S. refinery based on barrels per calendar day. Meanwhile, Marathon’s Galveston Bay refinery continues to lead the nation on a barrels-per-stream-day basis, with a capacity of 665,000 barrels per stream day.

LyondellBasell ended its refining operations in March 2025; however, this change is not reflected in the report, as the facility was still operational at the beginning of the year. Lyondell first announced plans to shut the refinery within a year in 2023, after failing in attempts over seven years to sell it, but extended the timing of the closure by a year to the first quarter of 2025.

The 2025 Refinery Capacity Report lists 132 operable U.S. refineries—unchanged from last year. Notably, this count excludes Phillips 66’s Rodeo refinery, which transitioned to renewable diesel production in 2024 and retains the capability to produce sustainable aviation fuel.