The Valero Refinery is already getting 35,000 barrels a day and expects that number to grow to 50,000 barrels a day by year end. My expectation is that you'll begin to see these refineries expanding or changing the crude slate they accept to allow for the refining of more Eagle Ford Shale crude oil.
"The Valero refinery began taking in Eagle Ford crude only late last year. Now the 100,000-barrel-a-day plant is processing about 35,000 barrels of Eagle Ford crude oil daily, a total that's expected to rise to about 50,000 barrels a day by year's end.""The boost in Eagle Ford drilling and changes at the Valero plant have prompted local officials to adopt and copyright a new slogan for the city: 'Three Rivers — Heart of the Eagle Ford Shale.' ”“ 'We have a location advantage,' said Harry Wright Jr., vice president and general manager of Valero Three Rivers Refinery."
"Using more locally produced crude oil will enable the Valero refinery to reduce costs and boost profit margins. The less expensive Eagle Ford crude will, as its use increases, replace more expensive foreign oil that arrives at Gulf Coast ports such as Corpus Christi and then is sent by pipeline to the refinery."
Read the full news release at mysanantonio.com