Comprehensive List of Refineries in Texas

Texas is known as an oil and gas state, and with oil and gas production comes the need for refineries. As of 2022, there were 130 oil refineries operating in the United States and 29 of those are found in Texas. The vast majority of Texas refineries are found near the Gulf of Mexico.

Texas Oil Refineries

Refinery Locations

Where Texas Refines

Most Texas refineries are the only one in their city, but three Gulf Coast metro areas each host multiple refineries.

Corpus Christi
6 refineries
Houston
3 refineries
Port Arthur
3 refineries
Also home to one refinery each
Beaumont Big Spring Borger Channelview Deer Park El Paso Galena Park Galveston Galveston Bay Nixon Pasadena San Antonio Sunray Sweeny Texas City Three Rivers Tyler
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, refinery capacity data as of January 1, 2022

Below is a list of active oil refineries in Texas as of January 1, 2022:

Beaumont

Beaumont Refinery (369,024 barrels per day) – ExxonMobil

Big Spring

Big Spring Refinery (73,000 barrels per day) – Alon USA / Delek Group Ltd

Borger

Borger Refinery (149,000 barrels per day) – WRB Refining LP / Phillips 66

Channelview

Channelview Refinery Complex (45,000 barrels per day) – Hartree / LyondellBasell

Corpus Christi

Bill Greehey Refineries East and West (290,000 barrels per day) – Valero

Citgo Corpus Christi Refinery (167,500 barrels per day) – Citgo

Buckeye Corpus Christi Refinery (60,000 barrels per day) – Buckeye Texas Processing

Magellan Refinery Corpus Christi (42,500 barrels per day) – Magellan Midstream

Corpus Christi East Refinery (73,500 barrels per day) – Flint Hills Resources

Corpus Christi West Refinery (265,000 barrels per day) – Flint Hills Resources

Deer Park

Deer Park Refinery (312,500 barrels per day) – Pemex

El Paso

El Paso Refinery (131,000 barrels per day) – Western Refining / Marathon Petroleum

Galena Park

Galena Park Refinery (84,000 barrels per day) – Kinder Morgan

Galveston

Galveston Refinery (45,000 barrels per day) – Texas International Terminals

Galveston Bay

Galveston Bay Refinery (593,000 barrels per day) – Marathon Petroleum

Houston

Houston Refinery (263,776 barrels per day) – Houston Refining / Access Industries

Valero Houston Refinery (205,000 barrels per day) – Valero

Houston Refinery (25,000 barrels per day) – Petromax Refining

Nixon

Nixon Refinery (14,000 barrels per day) – Lazarus Energy / Blue Dolphin

Pasadena

Pasadena Refinery (112,229 barrels per day) – Chevron

Port Arthur

Port Arthur Refinery (626,000 barrels per day) – Motiva

Port Arthur Refinery (335,000 barrels per day) – Premcor / Valero

Port Arthur Refinery (238,000 barrels per day) – TotalEnergies

San Antonio

San Antonio Refinery (20,000 barrels per day) – Starlight Relativity Acquisition Co.

Sunray

McKee Oil Refinery (195,000 barrels per day) – Diamond Shamrock / Valero

Sweeny

Sweeny Refinery (265,000 barrels per day) – Phillips 66

Texas City

Texas City Refinery (225,000 barrels per day) – Valero

Three Rivers

Three Rivers Oil Refinery (89,000 barrels per day) – Diamond Shamrock / Valero

Tyler

Tyler Refinery (75,000 barrels per day) – Delek

Accidents At Texas Refineries

A Pattern of Preventable Harm

Texas Refinery Accidents, 2005–2023

Explosions, fires, and equipment failures have struck Texas refineries again and again over the past two decades.

35 Reported incidents
18 Years, 2005–2023
15 Killed in a single blast
Notable incidents
March 2005 – BP Texas City

An explosion kills 15 workers and injures more than 100, the deadliest refinery accident on this list.

July 2008 – Lyondell, Houston

A crane collapse kills four workers and injures seven others.

November 2008 – Delek, Tyler

A refinery explosion kills two workers and injures several others.

April 2013 – ExxonMobil, Beaumont

More than 12 workers are injured in a refinery explosion.

July 2019 – ExxonMobil, Baytown

An explosion injures dozens of workers.

February 2023 – Galveston Bay

A worker is killed while constructing scaffolding at the refinery.

Source: Arnold & Itkin review of publicly reported Texas refinery incidents, 2005–2023

Texas has more refineries than any other state. When these are not properly managed or maintained, accidents happen. When accidents happen, it is workers and their families who pay the price.

Below are some recent notable accidents that have occurred at Texas refineries.

  • March 2005 – Explosion at BP Texas City Refinery kills 15 workers and injures more than 100.
  • October 2006 – Worker is killed after falling from a ladder at the Flint Hills refinery in Corpus Christi.
  • February 2007 – McKee Refinery in Sunray shut down after three employees are burned in a propane fire.
  • July 2007 – Hydrogen sulfide leak at Valero refinery in Port Arthur sends dozens of people to the hospital.
  • February 2008 – Explosion at Alon USA refinery in Big Spring injures five workers.
  • July 2008 – Crane collapse at Houston’s Lyondell refinery kills four workers and injures seven.
  • November 2008 – Delek refinery in Tyler explodes, killing two workers and injuring several others.
  • July 2009 – Citgo refinery in Corpus Christi explodes and releases toxic hydrogen fluoride vapor.
  • December 2009 – Explosion at Valero refinery in Texas City kills one worker and injures others.
  • April 2010 – Man is killed in a crane collapse at Port Arthur’s Motiva refinery.
  • May 2010 – Fire erupts in Lyondell refinery in Houston.
  • May 2010 – Tanker truck explosion injures worker at Calumet Refinery in San Antonio.
  • November 2010 – Shell’s Deer Park refinery is shut down after several workers are injured in a fire.
  • December 2011 – One worker is injured when a fire breaks out at a Pasadena refinery owned by Petrobras.
  • December 2011 – Texas City Valero refinery explosion kills one worker.
  • August 2012 – A construction accident at Total’s Port Arthur refinery kills one worker.
  • October 2012 – Fire breaks out at Baytown Exxon Refinery.
  • January 2013 – Two contractors are injured at Baytown Exxon refinery.
  • January 2013 – Flint Hills Corpus Christi refinery is shut down due to pump fire.
  • April 2013 – More than 12 workers are injured in ExxonMobil Beaumont refinery explosion.
  • October 2013 – Fire erupts at Valero’s Houston refinery.
  • July 2014 – El Paso refinery owned by Western Refining catches fire.
  • January 2015 – An explosion at the Alon refinery in Big Spring injures at least 4 workers.
  • August 2015 – Lightning strikes a transformer at Texas City refinery, causing a fire.
  • January 2016 – Three workers are injured in fire at Galveston Bay refinery.
  • March 2016 – A generator explosion at Pasadena refinery injures one worker.
  • August 2017 – An explosion rocks Marathon Texas City refinery.
  • September 2017 – Fire at Port Arthur refinery releases 1+ million pounds of potentially toxic emissions.
  • December 2017 – Contract worker loses her life in accident at Beaumont refinery.
  • April 2018 – Explosion rocks Valero refinery in Texas City, injuring dozens of workers.
  • July 2019 – Explosion at Baytown ExxonMobil refinery injures dozens of workers.
  • February 2020 – A contractor is killed in an accident at Baytown ExxonMobil refinery.
  • December 2021 – Explosion at ExxonMobil refinery in Baytown injures at least 4 workers.
  • January 2023 – At least six workers are injured in a fire at Phillips 66 refinery in Borger, TX.
  • February 2023 – A worker is killed while constructing scaffolding at Galveston Bay refinery.

Each of these incidents can be traced to negligence or wrongdoing, whether it was failing to maintain equipment, not training workers properly, failing to inform contractors of certain risks, or allowing lax safety standards. The companies that own and operate these Texas refineries must be held accountable.

Case Study: The BP Disaster

What Happened

The BP Texas City Disaster

On March 23, 2005, a series of explosions tore through the isomerization unit at BP’s Texas City refinery during a routine restart, making it the deadliest refinery accident in modern U.S. history.

15 Workers Killed
180 Workers Injured
$50M Clean Air Act Settlement
How It Happened
Morning, March 23

Operators begin restarting the octane-boosting isomerization unit after a maintenance turnaround. A distillation tower is filled with flammable liquid hydrocarbons.

1:20 p.m.

The tower is overfilled. Excess liquid vents into a decades-old blowdown drum and stack, sending a geyser-like release of flammable liquid and vapor into the air.

Moments Later

An idling diesel truck ignites the vapor cloud, setting off a series of explosions. All 15 deaths occur in or around contractor trailers that had been placed too close to the unit.

Key CSB Investigation Findings
Occupied trailers were sited too close to the unit
BP prioritized personal safety over process safety
Operators were inadequately trained and supervised
OSHA had failed to enforce process safety standards
Source: U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board, final report on the March 23, 2005 BP Texas City refinery explosion

Arnold & Itkin represents workers, families, and others affected by refinery explosions and accidents like these. When employers, manufacturers, and other liable parties fail to prioritize safety, the consequences can be catastrophic. We fight to hold these parties accountable, seeking maximum compensation for victims and their loved ones.

About the Firm

Texas is home to more oil refineries than any other state, and Arnold & Itkin has been representing refinery workers and their families after plant accidents, explosions, and chemical exposure incidents across the state for more than two decades. The firm’s Houston personal injury attorneys have handled cases involving facilities along the Gulf Coast, in the Permian Basin, and throughout South and East Texas. With offices in Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, and Midland, Arnold & Itkin has the reach and the record to take on refinery injury and wrongful death cases statewide and beyond.

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