No it is not simple, nor does the graph accurately portray the true refining capacity (operable capacity) of the U.S. Our total refining capacity is not our gasoline refining capacity. It does not take into account blending requirements that further degrade the gasoline refining capacity as various blends of gasoline require not only different refining techniques, but blending techniques, that require significant downtime for plant/refinery turnaround between various gasoline blends, as well as not all refineries are not set up to produce all gasoline blends.
It does not take into account that our refining capacity is further limited by the type of feedstock that it can process. Refineries are generally limited to a range of feedstock that it can utilize, that is they or crude oil specific of API range specific. This also does not take into account the requirements to refine other necessary petroleum products such as aviation fuels, diesel, and petro-chemical feed stocks.
Depending on the design and capacities of the refineries; refineries of the same capacity do not necessarily have the capacity to produce the same volume of gasoline from the same volume of feedstock. Some are more efficient then others at maximizing gasoline per barrel production.
The absolute refining capacity of the United States is not the achievable or sustainable refining capacity of the U.S. In addition, the demand for gasoline and other higher distillate products is rising faster, than capacity can be increased, though most refineries are attempting to maximize their gasoline output. With refineries operating at near their operable capacity, any disruption for maintenance, turnaround, accidents and repair further diminishes our gasoline refining capacity. This coupled with the fact that the majority of our refineries are operating beyond their design life, and the relatively old age of the refineries operating in the U.S. make them more susceptible to repair and maintenance disruptions. There has not been a new refinery built in the U.S. since 1976. Though the U.S. has the most complex refining capacity in the world, due in large part to we are the largest consumer in the world, our capacity per refinery is among the lowest in the world.
Additionally the concentration of refineries to certain geographic locations in the U.S. has also added additional costs to gasoline at the pump. For it is still cheaper to transport crude oil then refined products. Our pipeline infrastructure is yet another bottleneck in the equation as well as the decline in our waterborne refined product capacity.
It is not a simple solution, there are none, asthere are many other downstream and upstream constraints that face the petroleum industry.