Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, 2015 Refinery Capacity Report.
Increased
refinery runs—based on increases in both capacity and utilization—have
helped accommodate increases in U.S. crude oil production. The United
States' capacity to refine crude oil into petroleum products—measured as
operable atmospheric crude distillation unit (CDU) capacity—increased
by 0.2% in 2014, reaching 18.0 million barrels per calendar day (b/d),
according to EIA's recently released annual Refinery Capacity Report.
The
refinery capacity reported for the beginning of 2015 includes
expansions that were operable on January 1, but not necessarily
operating. Because these units were not operating as of January 1,
capacity for those projects is listed as idle. Dakota Prairie Refining
recently completed construction of one of the few new refineries built
in the United States over the past 30 years. This relatively simple refinery,
which is located in western North Dakota, has CDU capacity of 19,000
b/d and will refine locally produced crude oil to make diesel fuel.
Earlier this year, Kinder Morgan added a 42,000 b/d condensate splitter
to its Galena Park, Texas crude oil terminal that is also included in
the capacity estimate for the start of 2015. A second unit, with similar
capacity, is expected to start operating this summer, but it is not
included in the January 1, 2015 capacity estimate.
U.S. refinery
capacity and utilization have increased to accommodate increasing
domestic crude oil production, which rose to an average 8.7 million b/d
in 2014, 3.2 million barrels higher than in 2010. Gross inputs to
refineries averaged a record 16.1 million b/d in 2014 compared with 15.1
million b/d in 2010. Nearly 75% of the 1.0 million b/d increase in
refinery gross inputs is the result of a 4 percentage point increase in
refinery utilization compared with 2010 (from 86% to 90%). The rest of
the increase is attributable to capacity expansions. Over the same
period, crude imports decreased by 1.9 million b/d, and crude exports
increased by 0.3 million b/d.
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Petroleum Supply Monthly. Note: Refinery gross inputs include crude oil and other oils processed through crude distillation units.
The
report also includes information on expansions planned for the
remainder of 2015. Capacity is expected to expand by an additional
119,000 barrels per stream day later in 2015. Delek US plans to increase
CDU capacity by 10,000 b/d at its Tyler, Texas refinery, and Marathon
reported that it plans to add 35,000 b/d of condensate splitter capacity
at its Catlettsburg, Kentucky refinery by the end of the year. Further
investment in refinery expansion projects will depend on expectations of
relative crude oil prices and the relative economic advantage of the
U.S. refining fleet compared with refineries in the rest of the world.
EIA's Refinery Capacity Report
measures refinery capacity in barrels per stream day and barrels per
calendar day. Barrels per stream day reflects the maximum number of
barrels of input that a distillation facility can process within a
24-hour period when running at full capacity under optimal crude oil and
product slate conditions with no allowance for downtime. Barrels per
calendar day is a measure of the amount of input that a distillation
unit can process in a 24-hour period under usual operating conditions
and maintenance downtime. Stream day capacity is typically about 6%
higher than calendar day capacity.
http://www.theenergycollective.com/todayinenergy/2243174/us-refinery-capacity-reaches-18-million-barrels-day