Refineries
bp’s three US refineries each play a key role in powering regional transportation networks and make significant economic contributions to their local communities.
The numbers tell the story
bp has the capacity to refine 771,000 barrels of crude oil each day in the US
bp’s US refineries represent about 40 percent of bp’s global refining capacity
bp supports 127,000 jobs across IN, IL, OH and WA
Whiting Refinery
Located in northwest Indiana, our Whiting refinery is the largest in the Midwest and bp’s largest anywhere in the world. Able to process around 440,000 barrels of crude oil every day, Whiting produces a wide range of liquid fuels, along with 7% of all asphalt in the United States.
Whiting refinery reached an important milestone by safely bringing its new naphtha hydrotreater processing unit online in August of 2020. bp invested over $300 million over the three-year construction period of the unit. The naphtha hydrotreater removes sulfur from gasoline and improves the facility’s ability to produce cleaner-burning fuels.
The naphtha hydrotreater allows the refinery to produce the full slate of US EPA Tier 3 fuels, which require gasoline to have an average sulfur content of no more than 10 parts per million. According to the EPA, “these lower sulfur fuels will help lower individual vehicle emissions and make automobile emission control systems more effective."
bp-Husky Toledo Refinery
The bp-Husky Toledo refinery in Oregon, Ohio, can process up to 160,000 barrels of crude oil per day. Established in 1919 by Standard Oil of Ohio, the Toledo refinery is now operated by bp as part of a joint venture with Cenovus Energy. Between 2019 and 2020, we improved the reliability of our mercaptan oxidation (Merox) unit, which converts kerosene into jet fuel. Operational improvements boosted the run rates of our Merox unit by more than 30% and reduced the amount of clay filter waste material generated during the Merox process. As a result, our Toledo refinery can produce more jet fuel, more efficiently.
Safe operations
We believe that technology can play an increasingly effective role in reducing safety risks and throughout 2020 we continued to extend its use in this context across our refining operations. Key actions included the continuing use of drones and robotic technologies for inspections, removing the need for people to face the risks involved in carrying out inspections.
Our three refineries continue to provide the US with the energy that it needs safely, reliably and efficiently.
- [1]
This figure is based on GREET 3.0 for California Air Resources Board provisional pathway using tallow feedstock.
- [2]
Applies where generators over 25 megawatts are required to possess credits.