GHGRP Refineries
The refinery sector consists of facilities that produce gasoline, gasoline blending stocks, naphtha, kerosene, distillate fuel oils, residual fuel oils, lubricants, or asphalt (bitumen) by the distillation of petroleum or the re-distillation, cracking, or reforming of unfinished petroleum derivatives. GHG process emissions from this sector include emissions from venting, flares, and fugitive leaks from equipment (e.g., valves, flanges, pumps). In addition to emissions from petroleum refining processes, the sector includes combustion emissions from stationary combustion units located at these facilities. Process emissions from hydrogen production plants and petrochemical manufacturing facilities located at refineries are included in the chemical manufacturing sector. Emissions from industrial waste landfills and industrial wastewater treatment at these facilities are included in the waste sector.
Emissions Trend
What factors influenced the trend in emissions for refineries?
Emissions by Facility Location
This map shows the locations of direct-emitting facilities. The size of a circle corresponds to the quantity of emissions reported by that facility.
Number of Reporters and Emissions in the Refineries Sector (as of 8/16/2024)
| Refineries Sector - Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reported to the GHGRP (all emissions values presented in million metric tons CO2e) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Metric | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
| Number of Facilities: | 150 | 147 | 146 | 142 | 144 | 144 | 144 | 140 | 139 | 140 | 138 | 136 | 133 |
| Total emissions (CO2e): | 178.2 | 172.6 | 174.3 | 175.3 | 176.9 | 180.9 | 178.7 | 181.7 | 177.5 | 160.6 | 164.5 | 163.6 | 162.0 |
| Emissions by greenhouse gas (CO2e) | |||||||||||||
| • Carbon dioxide (CO2): | 176.8 | 171.3 | 173.0 | 174.0 | 175.6 | 179.6 | 177.3 | 180.4 | 176.0 | 159.4 | 163.3 | 162.4 | 160.9 |
| • Methane (CH4): | 0.9 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 0.9 | 0.9 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 0.7 |
| • Nitrous oxide (N2O): | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.4 |
Totals may not equal sum of individual GHGs due to independent rounding.
CO2 emissions from the combustion of biomass are NOT included in emissions totals provided above.