Valero

Valero is an oil refining company with facilities across the United States. Recent news highlights two of its locations. The Valero refinery in Port Arthur, Texas, experienced a large explosion and subsequent fire on Monday, March 23, 2026. The incident sent plumes of smoke into the air, prompting a temporary shelter-in-place order for nearby residents. While the fire was extinguished and no injuries were reported, the event is under investigation, with an industrial heater suspected as the cause. Separately, the Valero refinery in Benicia, California, is closing. This closure is significant because the refinery has historically shaped the city's economy, politics, and public health. Benicia is now facing the challenge of reinventing itself as an oil town without its major refinery.