There is no refinery shortage. We refine more petroleum products, including gasoline and diesel, than we consume within the US.
We have not built a new refinery lately, but we have been upgrading and expanding the existing refineries, connected to the existing pipelines for crude and products, for decades.
Petroleum Product demand (not including natural gas liquids.
http://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/hist/LeafHandler.ashx?n=PET&s=MTPUPUS2&f=M
Refinery Capacity
http://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/hist/LeafHandler.ashx?n=PET&s=MOCLEUS2&f=M
Refinery operations
http://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/hist/LeafHandler.ashx?n=PET&s=MOCGGUS2&f=M
The result of this surplus capacity, we import more crude oil than we need, and export surplus refined product, helping the trade balance, keeping some available surplus available and more jobs in the US.
If the number of refineries does not effect the price at the pump as much as I think because you say we have enough refineries already, then why is it every time an accident happens at a refinery that forces them to shut down production those of us in the distribution area for the petrol coming from that refinery are forced to endure higher prices.
If, as you say, we have enough refineries, then a plant shutdown, or the many changes they make every Spring and Fall for different grade petrol, should not effect the price like it always does.
In California at least, they keep attempting to build new refineries or even enlarge the existing ones, just to have the left stop them via lawsuits, liberal judges, and the EPA. They are having a tough time in California just upgrading and maintaining the ones that exist.
You can probably answer this: Why don’t they build refineries closer to the supply i.e. the need for the Keystone and other pipelines?