Over the past 5 years, focus on the U.S. oil & gas sector has centered around oil production from the U.S. shale revolution while neglecting, arguably, the most important part of the US oil & gas sector: U.S. refining. The shale revolution may have put the U.S. in the top 3 oil producers in the world, but the U.S. already has the top spot with the world’s largest and most sophisticated refining industry. (Click to enlarge) In terms of size, China’s refining industry comes closest to the U.S. with over 15 million barrels per day (bbl/d) of refining capacity, but the industry operates at less than 75 percent utilization. The low utilization of Chinese refineries is because 3.5-4.5 million bbl/d of refining is done by independent “teapot” refineries that operate at 30 percent-60 percent capacity. These teapot refineries are inefficient and propped up by government regulations. In terms of […]