VALERO pulling out of PA

[53' Stude]

Walked to Valero gas station down road from is with the lady’s daughter. It’s no longer a VALERAO, but a MARATHON. Owner told me that VALERO is closing all fueling stations in PA and there won’t be any here or in PA. Oh well, there’s always GetGo, Speedway and the SHELL station up hill from me

 

[buster]

I've been going to a local Valero near me lately. They still have refineries in NJ I believe.

 

[Nukeman7]

Isn't Sheetz a major player in Pennsylvania? I think their Made To Order subs/wraps are head and shoulders above the typical convenience store fast food fare.

 

[Boomer]

Sheetz, Wawa, and Rutters are all in PA. O)f these three, only Rutters is Top Tier. I avoid the other two and any other generic non-Top Tier fuels. What cracks me up is that near me is a Mercedes dealer. They STRONGLY recommend Top Tier. But right across the street from the dealer is an Exxon (Top Tier) and a Sheetz (non-Top Tier). Both are the same price for all grades. The Exxon station might have 1-2 cars getting fuel while the Sheetz will have 10-15! And many of the cars at Sheetz are Mercedes and Audis! Go figure.

 

[JohnnyG]

Valero has always been part of Marathon. I think there was some kind of partnership, or station sale several years ago.
Maybe they're splitting that up again.

 

[Kira]

In northern NJ many older Shell became Valero stations.
There were TV commercials claiming they were an established company, pipeline, I think.
Their pricing was way out of line; always above Shell and Chevron (or most expensive) and Exxon.
I feel good when I see a closed Valero.

 

[y_p_w]

I've been going to a local Valero near me lately. They still have refineries in NJ I believe.

The Valero exploration and refining brand is now separate from the retail brand. I suppose the trademarks are used under license. Kind of like Phillips 66 is now separate from Conoco-Phillips.

​

https://www.reuters.com/article/bus...3-5-bln-in-retail-sale-sources-idUSL1E8KRH89/​

Valero Energy Corp is selling its retail business through an auction that could fetch more than $3.5 billion and has lured the interest of private equity firms and convenience-store operators, people familiar with the matter said.​

This didn't actually happen though.

https://www.valero.com/about/our-history​

2013-2014​

Valero also spins off its retail business as an independent public company. CST Brands Inc. enters the market as the second-largest publicly traded fuel and convenience merchandise retailer in North America.​

 

[y_p_w]

Valero has always been part of Marathon. I think there was some kind of partnership, or station sale several years ago.
Maybe they're splitting that up again.

I don't believe that's the case. They're separately traded public companies. The other issue is that Valero spun off its retail business (aka CST Brands) over a decade ago. They did transfer locations because Couche-Tard (which owns Circle K) bought them out and there were antitrust concerns because of how big they were.

https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/new...erator-alimentation-couche-tard-inc-divest-71​

Retail fuel station and convenience store operator Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. has agreed to divest up to 71 retail fuel stations with convenience stores to Empire Petroleum Partners in order to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that ACT’s proposed $4.4 billion acquisition of competitor CST Brands, Inc. would violate federal antitrust law.​

​

The divestiture order requires ACT to divest 70 CST fuel stations to Empire, and to give Empire the option of acquiring an additional location owned by ACT. The fuel stations to be divested are in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, New Mexico, Ohio, and Texas.​

 

[SC Maintenance]

Most of the refinery branded stations have been closing here for years.

There loosing out to the giant service stops like QT and Sheetz, and some more regional ones around here like Parkers or Spinx. At least QT is top tier. Most of those others are not.

 

[4WD]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valero_Energy

 

[4WD]

I don't believe that's the case. They're separately traded public companies. The other issue is that Valero spun off its retail business (aka CST Brands) over a decade ago. They did transfer locations because Couche-Tard (which owns Circle K) bought them out and there were antitrust concerns because of how big they were.

https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/new...erator-alimentation-couche-tard-inc-divest-71​

Retail fuel station and convenience store operator Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. has agreed to divest up to 71 retail fuel stations with convenience stores to Empire Petroleum Partners in order to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that ACT’s proposed $4.4 billion acquisition of competitor CST Brands, Inc. would violate federal antitrust law.​

​

The divestiture order requires ACT to divest 70 CST fuel stations to Empire, and to give Empire the option of acquiring an additional location owned by ACT. The fuel stations to be divested are in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, New Mexico, Ohio, and Texas.​

Yeah, hatched from the old LoVaca Gathering/Coastal which was all over my area

 

[y_p_w]

Most of the refinery branded stations have been closing here for years.

There loosing out to the giant service stops like QT and Sheetz, and some more regional ones around here like Parkers or Spinx. At least QT is top tier. Most of those others are not.

The retail fuel business has been fractured for years. A lot of the big names that used to be associated with a refiner are now separate. Arco/ampm got split up where it's basically a licensing agreement between BP and Marathon. Phillips 66 operates Phillips 66/Conoco/76 stations separate from Conoco-Phillips. Valero divested its retail business over a decade ago.

The brands may still be strong, but a lot times the refiners just don't want to deal with the retail business any more.

CITGO was really odd since it was owned by 7-11 before it was sold to PDVSA (the Venezuelan state-owned oil company) and now it's on its way to being sold again. Not sure if this deal went through or not.

https://www.cspdailynews.com/mergers-acquisitions/amber-energy-track-acquire-citgo

 

[JohnnyG]

I don't believe that's the case. They're separately traded public companies. The other issue is that Valero spun off its retail business (aka CST Brands) over a decade ago. They did transfer locations because Couche-Tard (which owns Circle K) bought them out and there were antitrust concerns because of how big they were.

https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/new...erator-alimentation-couche-tard-inc-divest-71​

Retail fuel station and convenience store operator Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. has agreed to divest up to 71 retail fuel stations with convenience stores to Empire Petroleum Partners in order to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that ACT’s proposed $4.4 billion acquisition of competitor CST Brands, Inc. would violate federal antitrust law.​

​

The divestiture order requires ACT to divest 70 CST fuel stations to Empire, and to give Empire the option of acquiring an additional location owned by ACT. The fuel stations to be divested are in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, New Mexico, Ohio, and Texas.​

Maybe it was part of their pipeline business several years ago. I remember something about them beingin some sort of partneship.

 

[NormanBuntz]

Valero is still in Delaware. That seems odd. vs. pulling out of PA.

 

[CleverUserName]

I like their diesel. There are a couple stations near me that sell a Renewable/petroleum diesel blend. It’s labeled as D2 at the pump but there is renewable mixed in as well. It’s good stuff, however not all valero branded stations have it. I’ve gotten plain renewable diesel from other valeros in the area.

Valero is closing the Benicia refinery,

 

[Danno]

I like their diesel. There are a couple stations near me that sell a Renewable/petroleum diesel blend. It’s labeled as D2 at the pump but there is renewable mixed in as well. It’s good stuff, however not all valero branded stations have it. I’ve gotten plain renewable diesel from other valeros in the area.

Valero is closing the Benicia refinery,

When you see the input into making renewables, the concept makes me wonder how we ever got into this. Laura Farms as an example, great people but just mind boggling the use of ground water and the extra millions of acres used for agriculture to meet a mandate.

 

[CleverUserName]

When you see the input into making renewables, the concept makes me wonder how we ever got into this. Laura Farms as an example, great people but just mind boggling the use of ground water and the extra millions of acres used for agriculture to meet a mandate.

The California renewable diesel thing is a scam. Any reduction in pollution is offset by the fact that RD is less energy dense and requires more fuel to do the same amount of work.

It’s possible to create renewables from atmospheric gases like CO2. This would be expensive however it can be done with a modern energy policy focused on abundance This is the way, not corn or soy or EVs.

We “got into this” because of lobbyists and corrupt bureaucrats on the take.

 

[SC Maintenance]

Do oil companies actually own any stations anymore, or are they all franchise?

You don't see Valero around here much. The few I have noticed in SC are very old and run down.

Around here the Shell gas used to be partnered with Circle K stores but now its all Circle K branded gas. But they just built a new Shell in near the city which was partnered with a 7-eleven store. Seems like Sonoco is partnering with 7 Eleven in spots also?

They built a new Exxon and its partnered with a reFuel store - another one of those big convenience stores that sells fried chicken and wine and they have Exxon gas. Another reFuel down the road further sells Shell gas?

Gas stations are the new wild west! Seems like the draw is the convenience store, and the gas is second. I thought convenience stores died when Walmart went 24 hours. Walmart isn't 24 hours anymore so maybe there coming back?

 

[y_p_w]

Do oil companies actually own any stations anymore, or are they all franchise?

Pretty much all franchise agreements at this point. A relative of mine owned a Chevron station in Southern California. I've seen plenty of rebrandings over the years. It's certainly a lot easier to change franchise agreements in the fuel business than something like fast food.

 

[53' Stude]

Isn't Sheetz a major player in Pennsylvania? I think their Made To Order subs/wraps are head and shoulders above the typical convenience store fast food fare.

In my region GetGo and 7 eleven, SHELL are the competitors. One Sheetz near the lady’s co worker. COEN stations are popping up everywhere too