Valero Energy stock: Houston restart plan targets 165,000 bpd

On November 9, 2026, the Institute for Energy Research reported that Valero Energy had agreed to buy LyondellBasell's shuttered Houston refinery for 320.5 million US dollars. The planned transaction would restore processing capacity on the Houston Ship Channel and deepen Valero's Gulf Coast footprint.

Valero plans to restart 165,000 barrels per day of light, sweet crude processing by the end of 2027. The site sits next to Valero's existing Houston refinery, which has 205,000 barrels per day of capacity. The location includes about 700 acres, 13.5 million barrels of storage, marine docks, rail-loading facilities and truck racks.

Restart depends on execution

The transaction is expected to close by year-end 2026, subject to customary closing conditions. Closing the deal and restarting the plant are separate milestones, leaving permitting, construction work and operating execution as important variables for investors.

The initial plan covers light, sweet crude. The former refinery also had heavy-crude capability, but that unit was demolished in April, according to the Institute for Energy Research. Valero is considering future investment in equipment for heavy, sour crude, but no timetable or spending figure for that option was provided.

The Houston project is a longer-term capacity initiative rather than an immediate earnings contribution. Its economic appeal will depend on the cost and timing of the restart and on refining margins when the facility returns to service. The location could also help Valero reduce third-party intermediate-feedstock purchases across its Gulf Coast system.

Valero Energy stock traded at 322.80 euros on Lang & Schwarz at 15:01 CET on Wednesday, November 11, 2026.

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