Global oil refinery capacity 2010 & 2023, by country
China had the world’s largest oil refinery capacity as of 2023, at nearly 18.5 million barrels of oil per day. Oil refineries process crude oil into more useful products. Common oil refinery products include diesel fuel, heating oil, and gasoline.
Global oil refining
The global refinery capacity for crude oil has been steadily increasing since 1970. As of 2021, the total global refinery capacity for crude oil was some around 101 million barrels per day. However, the refinery throughput worldwide was over 79 million barrels of oil per day.
United States oil refining
In 2023, oil refinery capacity in the United States amounted to approximately 18.4 million barrels per day. The North American country has consistently maintained the largest oil refinery capacity across the globe, before being overtaken by China in 2023. As one of the largest U.S. refiners, Chevron had a crude oil refining capacity that handled 1.8 billion barrels of crude oil per day worldwide.
