U.S. refining capacity increased to more than 18.8 million barrels per day as of January 1, 2019, the highest capacity on record, according to a new report issued by the Energy Information Administration. Compared with 2018, capacity increased by more than 200,000 barrels per day, an increase equivalent to the addition of one medium-sized refinery.
More than half of the 2019 increase was in capacity along the U.S. Gulf Coast, which is home to more than 50 percent of total U.S. refining capacity, with the balance split between the Midwest and the West Coast.
U.S. refineries are most the most technologically advanced and efficient in the world, and the steady growth in U.S. refining capacity has ensured the cost-effective supply of refined products like gasoline, diesel fuel and jet fuel to U.S. consumers — as well as consumers around the world. U.S. refineries support close to 2.5 million jobs and contribute more than $400 billion to the U.S. economy.
