Valero wraps St. Charles FCC project, reports record earnings

Oil & Gas Journal · Robert Brelsford · 2026-10-22 00:00 UTC

Valero's confirmation of its completion and startup of the $230 million FCC unit upgrade at its St. Charles refinery came alongside the operator's reporting of record earnings...

Valero Energy Corp. has completed the $230-million fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) unit optimization project on schedule and within budget at its 340,000-b/d St. Charles refinery in Norco, St. Charles Parish, La., about 25 miles west of New Orleans, the San Antonio-based operator said in reporting its third-quarter 2026 earnings on Oct. 22.

The FCC upgrade enhances the refinery's ability to produce higher-value products, particularly alkylate and gasoline, positioning the site to capture premium margins as refining fundamentals remain underpinned by limited global capacity additions, Valero said.

Originally announced in 2021 as part of Valero's long-term capital allocation strategy, the St. Charles FCC unit optimization is now operational and anticipated to strengthen the refinery's competitive position in heavy crude processing and product slate optimization.

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