Chevron U.S.A. (CUSA), a subsidiary of Chevron, has finalised a retrofit of its Pasadena refinery in Texas, increasing its processing capacity for lighter crude oils by approximately 15% to 125,000 barrels per day (bpd).
The project, part of Chevron’s strategy to enhance its Gulf Coast refining operations, allows the company to process additional crude from the Permian Basin. It also aligns with efforts to supply more products to the US Gulf Coast market and integrate operations with the company’s Pascagoula Refinery in Mississippi.
The retrofit, known as the Light Tight Oil (LTO) Project, has also enabled the refinery to begin producing jet fuel and exporting gas oil. The project, which received regulatory approval in 2022, was initiated in 2019, with construction commencing in early 2020.
Chevron manufacturing president Chris Cavote said: “The Pasadena Refinery is on a journey to maximize value for Chevron and the community it serves by driving progress in safety and reliability.
“This refinery now firmly integrates our upstream and downstream businesses as we aim to optimise the value chain.”
Chevron acquired the Pasadena refinery in 2019 from Petrobras America, a subsidiary of Brazilian national oil company Petrobras, in a $350m deal. At the time of acquisition, the facility had a crude processing capacity of more than 110,000bpd.
The expansion is expected to improve Chevron’s ability to meet demand in the Gulf Coast and support its retail markets in Texas and Louisiana. The phased start-up of the upgraded facility is scheduled to continue through Q1 2025, during which operations will be tested and product specifications confirmed.
In the US, Chevron operates five fully owned refineries whose products include fuels and base oils among others. In addition to the Pasadena refinery, the company’s refining facilities are located in Richmond and El Segundo, California, Pascagoula, Mississippi, and Salt Lake City, Utah.
