After securing a 20-year deal to process 1.2 billion barrels of U.S. light shale oil, America First Refining (AFR) has plans to build the first new oil refinery in the U.S. in 50 years at the Port of Brownsville, Texas, which offers deepwater access to domestic and international markets and operates within a federally designated Economic Opportunity Zone.
The deal, valued at $125 billion, will produce 50 billion gallons of refined products worth $175 billion at the refinery that is designed exclusively for American light shale oil. Once active, the refinery is expected to reduce reliance on imported crude, which will strengthen national security and domestic energy production, and drive economic stability through job creation in South Texas.
AFR said in a March 10, 2026, statement, that the project represents “the largest energy deal in U.S. history.”
The project, which is backed by an unnamed global supermajor partner, is expected to break ground in the second quarter of 2026 and will be a historic move that will improve the U.S. trade imbalance by $300 billion.
As the new refinery was designed exclusively for the processing of American light shale oil, it is a cleaner, more efficient process that will cost less than processing heavier imported crude to produce some of the cleanest gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel.
“This is one of the most important energy infrastructure projects in America today,” said Trey Griggs, President of America First Refining. “The United States has a surplus of light shale oil, but a shortage of refining capacity designed to process it. By building this refinery at the Port of Brownsville, we’re unlocking a major expansion of American energy production while creating thousands of high-paying jobs and strengthening our domestic supply chain.”
