Valero Port Arthur Report Crude Unit Leak


   
Miguel E. Andujar
DTN Refined Fuels Market Reporter

   DAVENPORT, FL (DTN) -- Valero Energy reported Tuesday (9/15) an emissions 
event at its 360,000 bpd Port Arthur refinery in Texas following a 
process-fluid leak at Crude Distillation Unit 146, according to a filing with 
the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ).

   The leak occurred on Sunday (9/14) at 9:00 a.m. CT and continued until 2:30 
p.m. CT, lasting 5 hours and 30 minutes, according to the filing.

   Valero reported an unforeseeable leak of process fluid at the crude unit 
resulted in volatile organic compound emissions to the atmosphere. The refinery 
estimated 17.96 pounds of benzene were released during the event.

   Operators established safe operating conditions and initiated procedures to 
stop the emissions and repair the leak, according to the filing.

   Crude distillation units are the first major processing step at a refinery, 
separating crude oil into streams that feed downstream units used to produce 
gasoline, diesel, jet fuel and other refined products. The filing did not 
indicate whether refinery production was affected.

   The Port Arthur refinery primarily produces gasoline, diesel and jet fuel.

   DTN reached out to Valero Energy for additional details but did not get an 
immediate response.




(c) Copyright 2026 DTN, LLC. All rights reserved.