And here is interesting news on Refining.
First Oil Refinery to Open in 40 Years Breaks Ground in West Texas
OAN Newsroom November 20, 2017 (Posted here 1:50 P.M., 20 November 2017)
The MMEX Resources Corporation’s $50 million project is set to be built in Pecos County.
The area holds a significant crude oil supply, and is also railroad accessible. For sure can't be counting out those Railroads just yet.
It will be developed in two phases, and is expected to create hundreds of jobs. May keep some of the boys and girls home instead of coming up here to get jobs? But here will last a lot longer here than putting up that new Refinery.
Once it is completed, the 126 acre refinery will be able to process 10,000 barrels of crude oil each day.
Meanwhile, officials plan to file permits for a second unit that would be able to produce 100,000 barrels.
The first phase of the project is expected to be completed by the end of 2018, and will take up 15 acres.
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has already given the green light to start the project.
With the expansion of crude oil production in the region, economic growth is expected to follow.
But here is another take on new Construction:
U.S. Energy Information Administration
When was the last refinery built in the United States? Last updated: July 24, 2017
The newest refinery in the United States is the Magellan Midstream Partners LP 42,500 barrels per calendar day (b/cd) condensate splitter in Corpus Christi, Texas. Condensate splitters are distillation units that process condensate, which is lighter than crude oil. Splitter capacity is included as atmospheric distillation units in Energy Information Administration (EIA) data. The Magellan Midstream Partners LP unit, which began operating in 2017, was operable but not running at the start of the year, so its capacity was listed as idle in the Refinery Capacity Report......
.However, the newest refinery with significant downstream unit capacity is Marathon's facility in Garyville, Louisiana. That facility came online in 1977 with an initial atmospheric distillation unit capacity of 200,000 b/cd and as of January 1, 2017 had a capacity of 543,000 b/cd.
Capacity has also been added to existing refineries through upgrades or new construction. Some recent examples of large increases include:
In 2015, Valero expanded its Corpus Christi, Texas refinery after previous expansions, bringing its capacity to 293,000 b/cd as of January 1, 2017.
In 2012, Motiva upgraded its refinery in Port Arthur, Texas, making it the largest refinery in the United States with a capacity of 603,000 b/cd as of January 1, 2017.
So, it would appear a lot of choices on when things are happening? The most important point is that things are happening. Now I hope that the new Refineries are built to refine the "Sweet Oil" that is prevalent in the Texas/ Oklahoma areas. It is far easier to refine than the hard Sulphuric Oil coming out of many places. But especially now the Sand Shale of Canada. Now, it is said the current Refineries do not process the Sweet Oil? Sent to places like Venezuela and Mexico for processing. Seems good for them and not so good for us.
And if what is now being processed goes overseas, will do little for us to keep our prices down.
So I guess one can pick a Refinery to see exactly what it was built to refine or is supposed to refine and get an idea of what is new and what may not be so new? 'nuff said'.