US petroleum refinery capacity continues to increase

As of 1 January 2017, US operable atmospheric crude distillation capacity reached 18.6mn b/d, 1.6% higher than at the beginning of 2016, according to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA). This increase in operable capacity was slightly lower than last year’s increase of 2%.

The capacities of secondary units that support heavy crude oil processing and production of ultra-low sulphur diesel and gasoline, including thermal cracking (coking), catalytic hydrocracking, and hydrotreating/desulfurisation, also increased, according to the EIA. Catalytic hydrocracking and deasphalting units experienced the largest capacity increases over the past year, rising by 4.5% and 6.1%, respectively.