Valero Houston Refinery, Texas

With a throughput capacity of 160,000 barrels of oil per day, this is considered a midsize oil refinery. It produces gasoline, ultra-low-sulfur diesel, kerosene, asphalt, jet fuel, sulfur, No. 6 fuel oil and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). Employs approximately 450 people, on 250 acres. The refinery was built as part of the rapid expansion of petrochemicals in the region during WWII. Valero, based in San Antonio, is the largest refiner in the U.S. (as of 2014), with fourteen refineries and over 5,000 gas stations. It grew rapidly through acquisitions, acquiring this plant from Basis Petroleum in 1997. It is located on the Houston Ship Channel, and has facilities for offloading feedstocks, and is connected to the major pipelines running through the region, the largest petrochemical corridor in the nation.