U.S. operable atmospheric distillation capacity, the primary measure of refinery capacity, totaled 18.2 million barrels per calendar day (b/cd) on January 1, 2026—down over 250,000 b/cd (about 1%) compared with January 1, 2025—according to our latest annual Refinery Capacity…
port. We publish two measures of refinery capacity in the report: barrels per calendar day and barrels per stream day
Calendar day capacity represents the operator’s estimate of the input volume that a distillation unit can process in a 24-hour period under usual operating conditions, factoring in both scheduled and unscheduled maintenance. The calendar day capacity reported by companies may differ slightly from other published figures because of differences in estimation methods. Stream day capacity reflects the maximum input that a distillation facility can process within a 24-hour period when running at full capacity with an optimal crude oil and product slate and with no allowance for downtime.
Stream day capacity is typically about 6% higher than calendar day capacity. This year’s Refinery Capacity Report includes 130 operable refineries, two fewer than in 2025. LyondellBasell ended refining operations at its 263,776-b/cd refinery in Houston in March 2025, and Phillips 66 ceased operations at its 138,700-b/cd refinery in Los Angeles in October 2025.