Texas Changes the Oil Industry With the First New U.S. Refinery Since the 70s

President Trump announces the construction of the first new oil refinery in the U.S. in 50 years. The best part of the news is that the refinery will be built in Texas.

American Energy Dominance

President Trump announced the construction of the new refinery calling it the cornerstone of “American Energy Dominance."The construction of the America First Refinery at the Port of Brownsville marks the first major oil refinery built in the United States in over 50 years. This changes everything in how the nation processes its domestic oil.

The following video has great info, but it is two years old (so not up to date with this story.)

The Drilling Dilemma

So let’s take a minute for a little history lesson. The majority of oil refineries in the United States were constructed or heavily expanded between the 1900s and the 1970s.New Construction ended at the end of the 1970’s due to excessive regulations. The newest large refinery built in the US was completed in 1976 in Garyville, Louisiana. It is the third largest oil refinery in the United States. The problem is that the Garyville refinery and the other refineries built prior to 1976 only handled one type of oil.

Heavy, Sour, Crude

For decades, the U.S. energy sector has operated under an"oil swap." Since most American refineries were constructed prior to 1980, they were all set up to handle heavy, sour crude—a thick, high-sulfur oil typically imported from the Middle East, Mexico, and Canada. Remember, The United States was not an energy leader at that time.

Light, Sweet, Crude

Everything changed in the United States around 2010 with the fracking boom. The American shale boom of the 2010s introduced a different type of oil: light, sweet crude. The problem facing the American oil industry was none of our refineries could process the stuff.

The United States Is Forced Into an Inefficient Cycle

The oil industry was in a quandry. We had hit the oil motherload via fracking, but we did not have the ability to process the oil in the United States. This led to American oil companies exporting premium light crude to Europe and Asia while importing discounted heavy crude to keep domestic plants running. The America First Refinery is specifically engineered to end this cycle by processing high-quality U.S. shale oil.

The Largest Deal in United States History

The 300-billion-dollar project ,the largest in U.S. history, is part of a partnership with India’s largest privately held energy company, Reliance Industries. In a statement on Truth Social, President Trump attributed the success of the deal to streamlined permits and lower taxes.

A Return to American Greatness

In a statement on Truth Social, the President said, “America is returning to REAL ENERGY DOMINANCE! This is a massive win for American workers, energy, and the great people of South Texas.” This partnership is expected to bring thousands of long-overdue jobs to the region and strengthen national security by fueling U.S. markets directly.

The World’s Cleanest Refinery

Sustainability is at the heart of Phase I construction. America First Refining is pioneering a hydrogen-powered facility, utilizing excess hydrogen produced during the refining process to create low-emission, "cleaner" fuels.