Which Countries Have the Largest Oil Refinery Capacity?

Oil is liquid gold for many nations, helping to bolster the economy, create jobs and generate a huge amount of revenue. From diesel and petrol to kerosene and jet fuel, refineries are the final step in transforming oil into useable products. In our latest countdown, we look at some of the biggest oil refining giants on the planet.

United States

With the capacity to produce almost 19 million barrels of oil per day, the United States is one of the biggest refiners in the world. The Port Arthur Refinery is one of the country’s biggest powerhouses, set on the Gulf of Mexico in Texas. Gasoline, jet fuel, distillates, lubricant base oils, solvents and chemicals are just some of the products refined at Port Arthur. The Baytown refinery, also located in Texas, and the Garyville refinery in Louisiana are also major producers.

China

China refined an estimated 17.5 million barrels of oil per day in 2020, a figure that is creeping ever closer to the capacity of the United States. Fushun Petrochemical Company is the country’s flagship refinery, specializing in a variety of petrochemical products, as well as catalysts. Analysts expect big growth for Chinese refining, with most predicting the country will overtake the US in the next few years. By 2025 China’s crude processing capacity is expected to hit 20 million barrels per day, the equivalent of 1 billion tons a year.

Russia

Russia is another refining giant, with capacity to produce more than 6.5 million barrels per day. As one of the biggest oil producing countries in the world, Russia also has quick, easy and affordable access to raw products. State-owned Rosneft is the country’s biggest refiner, operating more than a dozen locations.

India

India has the capacity to refine around 5 million barrels of oil per day, with the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) and subsidiary Chennai Petroleum Corp controlling around 33% of this figure. A significant amount of this oil is imported from the Middle East. A large portion of this ends up at Jamnagar Refinery. With a capacity of 1.24 million barrels per day, Jamnagar is one of the largest refineries in the world.

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