Producing American energy for everyday life
Our US refineries represent about 40% of bp’s global refining capacity, producing the energy people need for everyday life. To deliver it safely, we use technology to reduce risks, like deploying drones instead of people to carry out inspections.
Located in Blaine, Washington, bp’s Cherry Point is the largest refinery in the Pacific Northwest. It was the first refinery in the Northwest capable of co-processing renewable diesel from biomass-based feedstocks. This fuel is chemically identical to petroleum diesel but has a lower carbon footprint.
Cherry Point can process approximately 250,000 barrels of crude oil per day. It’s the largest supplier of jet fuel to the Seattle, Portland and Vancouver international airports, and is also a significant supplier of anode-grade calcined coke to the world’s aluminum industry.
Recent improvements include the start-up of a new vacuum tower in the hydrocracker – the “heart” of the refinery where heavy gas oils are subjected to high temperatures and pressure in the presence of hydrogen to produce gasoline and jet fuel. The improvements enable this process while saving energy and reducing carbon dioxide emissions. The refinery also installed a new cooling tower and related infrastructure, which will enable more efficient cooling of process water.
About 17 miles southeast of downtown Chicago, in northwest Indiana, stands bp’s Whiting refinery.
It is the largest in the Midwest and bp’s largest anywhere in the world—making significant contributions to the region’s transportation network. Able to process around 440,000 barrels of crude oil every day, Whiting produces a wide range of transportation fuels.
Investing in the local community is important to Whiting, including supporting science, technology, engineering and math education programs, planting trees and sponsoring community events. It also means that the refinery is taking steps to hire more diverse and local employees. Whiting held its first-ever Community Night in June 2024, where refinery leadership led a panel discussion giving residents an overview of the refinery, its economic impact and commitment to the community.