Valero Begins Partial Restart of Port Arthur Refinery After Explosion: Sources

• The operational AVU-147 crude distillation unit processes 115,000 barrels per day, while the damaged AVU-146 unit (210,000 bpd) remains offline pending heater tube repairs
• The AVU-146 unit represents significant refining capacity: 2% of the U.S. Gulf Coast's 9.62 million bpd total and 3.4% of Texas's 6.13 million bpd capacity
• Diesel prices rose 16 cents per barrel the day after the March 23 explosion; one lawsuit has been filed alleging injury despite no official injury reports

Valero Begins Partial Restart of Port Arthur Refinery After Explosion

Valero Energy Corp has partially restarted its 380,000 barrel-per-day Port Arthur, Texas refinery following a March 23 explosion and fire, according to sources familiar with operations. The company has brought the production line from its 115,000-bpd AVU-147 crude distillation unit (CDU) back online, while repairs continue on the larger 210,000-bpd AVU-146 CDU.

Key Details:

• Post-blast inspection revealed a damaged heater tube in the AVU-146 unit, which remains offline pending repairs
• The AVU-146 CDU represents 2% of total crude refining capacity across Gulf Coast states (Texas, Mississippi, Louisiana) and 3.4% of Texas's 6.13 million bpd capacity
• The Gulf Coast region contains 9.62 million bpd in refining capacity, over half the U.S. total
• No injuries were reported from the explosion in the diesel hydrotreater, though one lawsuit has been filed alleging injury

Market Impact:

Diesel prices surged 16 cents per barrel the day after the explosion due to the refinery shutdown, highlighting the facility's significance to regional fuel supply. CDUs are critical infrastructure that break down crude oil into feedstocks for all other refinery units, making extended downtime particularly disruptive.

Valero has not responded to requests for comment regarding the timeline for full restart or the pending lawsuit. The partial restart signals progress toward normal operations, though the larger AVU-146 unit remains out of service indefinitely pending heater repairs.