U.S. operable atmospheric distillation capacity, the primary measure of refinery capacity, totaled 18.2 million barrels per calendar day on Jan. 1, 2026, according to the annual Refinery Capacity Report published by the Energy Information Administration. The figure fell more than 250,000 barrels per calendar day, or about 1%, from Jan. 1, 2025.

This year's report counts 130 operable refineries, two fewer than the prior year. LyondellBasell ended refining operations at its 263,776 barrel per calendar day refinery in Houston in March 2025. Phillips 66 ceased operations at its 138,700 barrel per calendar day refinery in Los Angeles in October 2025. Together the two closures removed roughly 400,000 barrels per day of operable capacity, partly offset by marginal increases at other existing plants.

The Los Angeles closure represents a 5% reduction in refining capacity on the West Coast. Limited pipeline capacity connects Gulf Coast refining hubs to the West Coast, so capacity reductions there carry a larger effect on regional fuel availability. Valero's 145,000 barrel per day Benicia refinery still appears in the report because it was operational on Jan. 1, 2026, and its capacity was removed from monthly estimates as of March 2026.

The Houston closure trimmed 3% of Gulf Coast regional capacity, and offsetting gains at other plants held the regional decline below 2% for 2025.

Marathon, Valero and ExxonMobil each reported calendar day capacity increases under 1%, changes the agency attributes to small-scale process improvements. Phillips 66 reported lower overall capacity following the Los Angeles closure. Motiva's Port Arthur refinery remains the largest U.S. refinery on a calendar day basis at 656,000 barrels per calendar day.

Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration - https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=67807