Posted on 02/09/2026 2:27:38 PM PST by Signalman
California’s already sky-high gas prices are expected to surge after Valero abruptly shuttered its Benicia refinery amid a spiraling “oil crisis,” a new report claims.
The Benicia refinery began shutting down on Saturday, four months earlier than planned, a former Valero manager told the California Globe Tuesday.
US gas prices: national average of $2.883 with California's average at $4.368, and a legend for retail prices ranging from $2.370 to $4.404.
The closure will cause the state’s already sky-high gas prices to soar, a new report said.
Thermal imaging showed the facility went cold as the Crimson Pipeline – which transports crude oil from Southern to Northern California – was also taken offline.
“We are in an unprecedented oil crisis,” oil expert Mike Ariza told the publication.
Valero Energy Corp. announced its plans last spring to pull the plug on its 145,000-barrel-per-day refinery by April, a move that is expected to send fuel prices skyrocketing and hobble the state’s refining capacity.
Refineries are fleeing the Golden State as regulations drive operating costs 26 to 37% higher than the national average. Chevron moved its operations from the Bay Area to Texas, while Phillips 66 powered down its 140,000-barrel-per-day Los Angeles refinery in October.
Ariza warned that as refineries go dark, more Californians will also skip town, noting that the oil and gas industry supports 536,770 jobs and pumps $338 billion into the state’s economy, the outlet reported.
He said Valero’s accelerated shutdown comes after the company scrapped its crude oil contracts back in October.
“Now, Valero is not even seeking to try and sell the refinery,” Ariza told the outlet in December.
“Even after the state tried to convince Valero to remain open, they elected to shut down. And instead of shutting down in April, they shutdown in January.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
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Let California voters enjoy what they voted for, good & hard.
Enjoy the suck! All that will be left are rich ahole Hollyweirdos.
EARNED AND DESERVED.
That Governor has ruined that state, he’s a risk to our national security.
Let California voters enjoy what they voted for, good & hard.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
It couldn’t happen to a more despicable crowd of leftist morons anywhere on the planet. But I feel sorry for those who are undeserving of the suffering they will experience because of that State’s lunatic governor and other assorted simpletons!
Democrats are their hero’s ... but then.
It couldn’t happen to a more deserving group of jagoffs, but it won’t change their voting behavior.
The dead voters won’t feel the price increase.
No Worries!
Kalifornia is going full electric. To create the electricity for this Brave New World, they will mandate that the Sun shine longer each day. When the Sun eventually does go down, they will mandate that the wind blows all through the night. Shazam! Problem solved.
Welcome to supply and demand when government fs up everything.
Speaking of California,
“Court blocks California’s no-masking law aimed at ICE”
“A federal judge on Monday issued an order blocking California from enforcing its new law barring ICE and other federal law enforcement officers from wearing masks, ruling that the state illegally targeted the feds.
But Judge Christina Snyder did allow the state to enforce its new law requiring officers to wear visible identifying information.
The Clinton appointee said she doubted the need for federal officers to actually wear masks, saying they have gone for decades without doing so.”
location location location
“””The Clinton appointee said she doubted the need for federal officers to actually wear masks, saying they have gone for decades without doing so.”””
They also went decades without death threats.
Government incompetence of steroids , make gas so expensive everyone will more the disaster EVs ,LOL
I guess the judge forgot about Covid when for 2 yrs we were mandated to wear masks, with no exceptions, so we didn’t kill (anyone’s) grandma. ICE can claim agents don’t want to be exposed to the myriad germs present on the vermin who keep attacking them because they don’t want anymore grandmas to die.
We didn’t vote for this. The votes have been stolen for 10’s of years. Between illegals and fraud we are screwed. The state is over 40% conservative.
Gonna be a great socialist third world paradise, yes parts of it already are...
Easy enough problem for the communists in Sacramento to solve. Just require the stations to sell gasoline for the prices they charged as of January 1, 2026. Squeeze those Kulaks. It’s the communist way.
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