U.S. operable atmospheric distillation capacity totaled 18.2 million barrels per calendar day on January 1, 2026, a decline of more than 250,000 barrels per calendar day, or about 1%, from January 1, 2025, according to the Energy Information Administration annual Refinery Capacity Report. The report counts 130 operable refineries, two fewer than the 2025 edition.

Two shutdowns account for the reduction. LyondellBasell ended refining at its 263,776 barrel-per-calendar-day plant in Houston in March 2025, and Phillips 66 ceased operations at its 138,700 barrel-per-calendar-day Los Angeles refinery in October 2025. Combined, the two sites represent roughly 400,000 barrels per day of lost operable capacity, partly offset by marginal increases at other refineries.

Regional effects diverge sharply. The Phillips 66 shutdown cut West Coast refining capacity, designated PADD 5, by 5%. Valero's 145,000 barrel-per-day Benicia refinery remained in the January 1 count and has since stopped refining, with its capacity removed from EIA monthly estimates as of March 2026. Limited pipeline capacity connects Gulf Coast refining hubs to the West Coast, which concentrates the supply effect in that region. The LyondellBasell closure trimmed Gulf Coast capacity, designated PADD 3, by 3%, and regional capacity there fell by less than 2% for the year after offsetting gains.

Among operators, Marathon, Valero and ExxonMobil each reported calendar day capacity increases below 1%. Phillips 66 reduced overall capacity. Chevron passed PBF Energy to become the fifth-largest U.S. refiner. Motiva's Port Arthur plant remains the largest single U.S. refinery at 656,000 barrels per calendar day.

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