oil refineries

U.S. refineries are operating at about 97% capacity as they compensate for global refining capacity lost to war damage elsewhere. Now, upcoming run-of-the-mill maintenance adds even more pressure on markets.

California refineries depend on crude oil from the region.

A gallon of gas in California is currently $4.60, about $1.70 more than the national average. But it’s not just because of taxes.

There’s been a long-standing synergy when it comes to the U.S. and Canada around oil. But the seizure of Venezuelan oil by the United States has thrown a bit of a wrench into the future of that relationship.

Disruptive geopolitical events, like the arrest of Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro by the U.S., often see investors jump into bonds or sell off a bunch of stocks temporarily. Neither of those happened.

Many Gulf Coast refiners have a stake in the future of Venezuelan oil exports, as they've spent billions to process the country's heavier crude.

Conditions favor Gulf Coast and Midwestern refineries over those based on the East and West coasts.

Juan Flores, an environmental organizer, gives “toxic tours” in Galena Park, Texas. It sits in the shadow of the U.S.’s largest petrochemical complex.

U.S. refineries, which are concentrated on the Gulf Coast, could be especially impacted by destructive storms, prodding prices up.

Why? It’s called the crack spread.