Trump eyes Texas refinery, $300B investment
President Trump announced a $300B oil refinery project in Brownsville, TX—the first new US refinery in 50 years, promising thousands of jobs.
The refinery, to be built by America First Refining at the Port of Brownsville, has been in development for over 12 years. The location is considered ideal due to its six liquid cargo docks, 13 general cargo docks, and direct rail connections. The refinery aims to process 60 million barrels of American light shale oil annually, sourced from the Permian Basin. A 20-year agreement is in place to purchase and process 1.2 billion barrels of U.S. shale oil, valued at approximately $125 billion. The refinery is projected to produce 50 billion gallons of refined petroleum products, valued at roughly $175 billion. America First Refining says the U.S. trade imbalance will improve by $300 billion. Construction is slated to begin in the second quarter of 2026. The Port of Brownsville is the only deepwater seaport directly on the U.S.-Mexico border and operates as a Free Trade Zone.
