Richmond refinery | Credit: Matthew (Dec 2025)

The Chevron Richmond Refinery, established in 1902 on San Francisco Bay in Richmond, California, is the largest refinery in Northern California and one of the most complex on the US West Coast, with an atmospheric crude distillation capacity of 285,000 bbl/calendar day (as of January 1, 2025) and a Nelson Complexity Index of 9.2.

Operating across 2,900 acres with 30 process plants and approximately 1,200 employees, the refinery processes a flexible crude slate of medium-to-heavy sour crudes — including Alaska North Slope, Arabian, and Iraqi grades — through a full suite of conversion units comprising FCC (90,000 bbl/sd), hydrocracking (71,300 bbl/sd), catalytic reforming (64,800 bbl/sd), hydrotreating (96,000 bbl/sd), and alkylation (65,000 bbl/sd), supported by one of the world's first large-scale Isomax hydrocrackers and a Chevron-proprietary lube oil complex producing Group II/III base stocks.

Primary products include CARB-specification motor gasoline, jet fuel, ULSD, lubricating base oils, and elemental sulfur, serving the San Francisco Bay Area and broader western US market.

A ~$1 billion Energy & Hydrogen Renewal Project completed around 2014 modernised the hydrogen plant to 294 MMSCFD capacity, upgraded the FCC feed hydrotreater to 80,000 bbl/day, and installed a new co-generation turbine, significantly improving energy efficiency and reliability.

Despite its industrial significance as Chevron's flagship Northern California asset, the refinery has faced sustained regulatory and community scrutiny, most notably following the August 2012 sulfidation corrosion fire that led to a $160 million Clean Air Act settlement and a $5 million community benefits agreement with the City of Richmond.

Access the detailed refinery profile here.

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