California refiners dreaming of heyday

US downstream sector in key state feels the pain of high costs, an environmental squeeze and the effects of broader market trends

US energy company Phillips 66 announced in October last year that it would shut its 139,000b/d Los Angeles refinery in the fourth quarter of 2025. A few months later, Texan refiner Valero announced it would close or repurpose its 145,000b/d Benicia refinery near San Francisco by April 2026. With California’s total refining capacity of 1.62m b/d, these two facilities account for 17.5% of the Golden State’s capacity. As in Europe, these closures reflect a broader industry trend as energy companies face increasing regulatory and financial pressure amid shifting market dynamics. California has one of the highest gasoline prices in the country California has one of the highest gasoline pr