In 2020, oil refinery capacity in the United States amounted to approximately 18 million barrels per day. Although refineries are operating at full capacity, they may still have difficulties in meeting daily energy demands.
How production increased
Oil consumption in the United States is one of the highest in the world and rising consistently. Since 2008, domestic production has more than doubled, following technological developments such as hydraulic fracturing that made it possible to extract from more oil sources, such as shale and tight sandstone. A surge in crude oil production has put pressure on refineries to keep raising capacity, which has not grown as rapidly.
An excess of oil
The unprecedented level of shale oil production outweighed the country’s growing demand and led to a sizable surplus. Since the 2010s oil glut, the United States has had to seek out new markets to increase exports, just as it became the world’s largest producer of oil.
Oil refinery capacity in the United States from 1970 to 2020*
(in 1,000 barrels per day)
According to the source, daily capacity volumes refer to atmospheric distillation capacity on a calendar-day basis.
Figures for years not included in the pdf version were taken from the Data workbook of the Statistical Review.
Thist statistic was assembled using several editions of the report.
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BP. (July 8, 2021). Oil refinery capacity in the United States from 1970 to 2020* (in 1,000 barrels per day) [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved January 18, 2022, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/265273/oil-refinery-capacity-in-the-united-states/
BP. "Oil refinery capacity in the United States from 1970 to 2020* (in 1,000 barrels per day)." Chart. July 8, 2021. Statista. Accessed January 18, 2022. https://www.statista.com/statistics/265273/oil-refinery-capacity-in-the-united-states/
BP. (2021). Oil refinery capacity in the United States from 1970 to 2020* (in 1,000 barrels per day). Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: January 18, 2022. https://www.statista.com/statistics/265273/oil-refinery-capacity-in-the-united-states/
BP. "Oil Refinery Capacity in The United States from 1970 to 2020* (in 1,000 Barrels per Day)." Statista, Statista Inc., 8 Jul 2021, https://www.statista.com/statistics/265273/oil-refinery-capacity-in-the-united-states/
BP, Oil refinery capacity in the United States from 1970 to 2020* (in 1,000 barrels per day) Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/265273/oil-refinery-capacity-in-the-united-states/ (last visited January 18, 2022)
