Texas Refineries Maxed Out: Can They Keep Up with Demand?
Refineries in Texas are operating at over 97 percent capacity, pushing the limits of their ability to supply gasoline, diesel fuel, and jet fuel to the nation and world.
The Permian Basin Petroleum Association, Texas Oil & Gas, and Texas Independent Producers & Royalty Owners associations have expressed concerns about the situation.
According to PBPA President Ben Shepperd, 'We greatly appreciate new investments in large transmission pipelines of crude oil and natural gas as well as the growth of gas processing domestically, but crude refining is a challenging prospect and new facilities are more uncommon than expanding existing facilities.'
Sherperd noted that there has been interest in building a new refinery at the Port of Brownsville, which would be the first completely new refinery built in the United States since 1976.