Our History Advancing the Future of Energy Through the Years Founded in 1980 and named for the mission San Antonio de Valero – the original name of the Alamo – Valero Energy Corporation has continued to grow and evolve to become the largest global independent petroleum refiner and a leading producer of renewable fuels in North America. Valero is managing its business to responsibility meet the world's growing demand for reliable and affordable energy. It is investing in innovative low-carbon technologies, while at the same time prioritizing safety, environmental stewardship and community engagement that are foundational to its success. Watch the video or read more to see how we have evolved over the years. 1980 On January 1, Valero Energy Corporation is born as the corporate successor of Lo-Vaca Gathering Company, a natural gas pipeline subsidiary of Houston-based Coastal Corporation. At the time, this represents the largest corporate spinoff in U.S. history. 1984 Valero officially commissions its first full-scale refinery in Corpus Christi, Texas (later named the Bill Greehey Refineries West Plant). As the last grassroots refinery built in the U.S., Valero’s Corpus Christi investment is labeled the “Refinery of the Future.” To this day, it is one of the most complex, technologically advanced refineries in the world. 1997 - 1998 Valero agrees to merge its natural gas-related service business with PG&E Corporation and spin off its refining assets into a new public corporation still known today as Valero Energy Corporation. That same year, Valero acquires three new refineries from Basis Petroleum, two in Texas (Houston and Texas City) and one in Louisiana (Krotz Springs*), becoming the largest independent refining company on the Gulf Coast. *Divested in 2008 Valero becomes the second-largest independent refining company in the U.S with its purchase of Paulsboro Refinery* in New Jersey, its first transaction with a major oil company (Mobil). *Divested in 2010 2000 Valero purchases Exxon’s Benicia Refinery in Northern California, and enters the West Coast refining market. The deal elevates Valero to one of the top five asphalt producers in the nation, and marks the company’s entry into the retail*, branded wholesale and marketing sectors. *Retail business divested in 2013 2001 Valero completes its largest transaction to date: merging with San Antonio-based Ultramar Diamond Shamrock, bringing six more refineries into Valero’s portfolio: Ardmore, Oklahoma; Wilmington, California; Denver, Colorado*; McKee (Sunray, Texas) and Three Rivers, Texas; and Lévis, Quebec (later named Jean Gaulin Refinery). This solidifies Valero’s foothold as one of the nation’s top refining and marketing companies, and expands its retail and branded wholesale networks to approximately 4,700 sites. The deal also gives Valero a stake in a midstream logistics business, later named Valero LP, which was spun off in 2006 and renamed NuStar Energy LP. That same year, Valero expands in Corpus Christi with the purchase of a second refinery (later named the Bill Greehey Refineries East Plant), and acquires two asphalt refineries on the West Coast. *Divested in 2005 2003 - 2004 Valero purchases its St. Charles Refinery from Orion Refining Corporation in South Louisiana, expanding Valero’s Gulf Coast reach and creating one of the most dramatic industrial turnarounds in company history. Valero extends its international reach with the acquisition of El Paso Corporation’s Aruba Refinery* plus related marine, bunkering and marketing operations. *Divested in 2016 2005 In a milestone year of growth, Valero becomes North America’s largest and most geographically diverse refiner with the acquisition of Premcor Inc. in an $8 billion transaction. The deal adds four refineries to the portfolio: Port Arthur, Texas; Memphis, Tennessee; Delaware City, Delaware*; and Lima, Ohio** and is regarded as one of the most strategic acquisitions in company history. *Divested in 2010 **Divested in 2007 2009 -2010 Valero purchases seven ethanol plants from VeraSun Energy Corporation. With this purchase, a new alternative energy subsidiary is formed, called Valero Renewable Fuels Company LLC. The ethanol plants are located in Albert City, Charles City, Fort Dodge and Hartley, Iowa; Welcome, Minnesota; Aurora, South Dakota; and Albion, Nebraska. Valero also completes 33 wind turbines in the Texas Panhandle, partly powering the McKee refinery. Valero Renewables grows to 10 ethanol plants with the purchase of three more sites (Bloomingburg, Ohio; Linden, Indiana; and Jefferson, Wisconsin), and one additional site in Mount Vernon, Indiana in 2014. 2011 Valero enters the Western European refining market with the purchase of the Pembroke Refinery in Wales and related logistics assets and marketing business in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The acquisition from Chevron Corporation significantly enhances the company’s ability to compete globally. Valero also acquires its 15th refinery, plus related logistics assets, in Meraux, Louisiana. The refinery offers significant hydroprocessing capacity and synergies with the company’s St. Charles refinery in nearby Norco, Louisiana. 2012 In a joint venture called Diamond Green Diesel, Valero partners with Darling Ingredients Inc. to build a 10,000-barrel-per-day renewable diesel refinery near its St. Charles refinery to process recycled animal fat, used cooking oil and other feedstocks into renewable diesel fuel. The effort marks Valero’s first advanced biofuels production, complementing its existing alternative energy efforts in ethanol and wind. 2013 Valero forms Valero Energy Partners LP, a publicly traded master limited partnership, to own, operate, develop and acquire crude oil and refined products pipelines, terminals and other transportation and logistics assets serving Valero refineries. The partnership serves as Valero’s primary vehicle to expand the transportation and logistics assets supporting its business. Valero also spins off its retail business as an independent public company. CST Brands Inc. enters the market as the second-largest publicly traded fuel and convenience merchandise retailer in North America Today Today, Valero has 15 refineries in the U.S., Canada and the U.K., and a total throughput capacity of approximately 3.2 million barrels per day. Valero a leading renewable fuels producer. Diamond Green Diesel annually produces 690 million gallons of renewable diesel, and Valero now has 12 ethanol plants with an annual capacity of 1.6 billion gallons. Valero supplies approximately 7,000 independently owned fuel outlets carrying its family of brands in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Ireland and Mexico, as well as rack and bulk markets in those countries and Peru. Our Operations Manufacturing, distributing and marketing transportation fuels and petrochemical products. Refining Refining Valero is the largest global independent petroleum refiner, and an international distributor and marketer of transportation fuels. Renewables Ethanol We are the world's second largest corn ethanol producer. Learn more about our ethanol operations.. Renewables Renewable Diesel Learn about our production and sale of renewable diesel, a low-carbon fuel. Social Navigation Youtube Instagram LinkedIn Twitter Facebook #FueledBy Valero Headquarters 1 Valero Way San Antonio, TX 78249 (210) 345-2000 Contact Us Footer Navigation Reasonable Accommodation Legal Notice EEO Privacy Statement Accessibility General Terms Notices and Disclosures © 2021 . All rights reserved.