Why Fluor is Building the US's First New Refinery Since 1977

The energy crisis engendered by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East has left governments globally considering their energy security.

In many cases, this period of reflection has led to the conclusion that countries need to rely less on global trading partners when it comes to fuel, due to the current instability of the oil and gas market.

While the US's military involvement in the Middle East may have negatively impacted its own energy economy in the short term, US President Donald Trump has made repeatedly clear his desire to move away from a globalised energy sector.

Since Trump was inaugurated for a second time in January 2025, he has spoken time and again about increasing US oil drilling.

While some progress has been made against this goal, refining remains something of a problem for Trump's ambition for the US to become self-sufficient.

The US is one of the world's most prolific refiners of oil, yet it still relies somewhat on importing fuel due to bottlenecks at its 130 refineries.

Part of this is down to the fact that the country has not built a new oil refinery in almost 50 years. This, however, is about to change.

A new era for American energy production

Fluor, the American construction and engineering firm, has been selected to lead the engineering and design of a landmark US oil refinery – the country's first since 1977.

The drive towards self-sufficiency in energy has gained considerable momentum in recent years.

With global oil supply chains proving increasingly fragile, the pressure to reduce dependence on foreign crude has never been greater.

America First Refining (AFR) is at the forefront of this shift. To deliver the project, it has appointed Fluor as its engineering and design partner.

The scale of America's oil import dependency illustrates precisely why such a facility is needed. Between 2014 and 2024, the US exported nearly 10 billion barrels of crude oil whilst importing 28 billion barrels over the same period.

AFR's ambition is to change that equation – producing, refining and consuming oil domestically, and doing so through a hydrogen-powered refinery designed to generate cleaner fuels.

Once operational, the facility is expected to redirect up to 60 million barrels of domestic crude oil per year, providing a significant boost to energy independence, industrial output and job creation.

Clean fuels at the heart of the project

Located in Brownsville, Texas on the Gulf of Mexico, the refinery will apply commercially proven technologies to produce high-octane, lower-emission fuels.

A defining feature of the project is its use of surplus hydrogen to generate cleaner fuel products, positioning it as a meaningful step forward in the transition towards low-emission energy supply.

The project is currently in Phase I, with Fluor now confirmed as the firm responsible for front-end engineering and design of the facility.

The contract value has not been disclosed, though Fluor expects to recognise it in the first quarter of 2026.

When complete, the refinery will process American shale oil into gasoline, jet fuel and diesel, supporting both clean fuel innovation and a more resilient domestic energy system.

Fluor's credentials for the role

Fluor Corporation is a well-established American engineering and construction firm with a broad portfolio spanning oil and gas, industrial infrastructure and government and power sectors. Its Texas headquarters places it well for this project, and its five-decade track record in engineering, procurement, construction and maintenance services makes it a natural fit.

"We are honoured to partner with America First Refining on this landmark US project," says Pierre Bechelany, Fluor's Business Group President of Energy Solutions.

"Together, AFR and Fluor bring deep technical expertise and proven project‑delivery capabilities, positioning the project for successful execution. This collaboration reflects both companies' commitment to advancing the nation's refining infrastructure."

A strategically vital location

The refinery will be built within the Port of Brownsville, a deep-water port situated in a foreign trade zone that has long served as a critical hub for energy and industrial activity. The port covers 40,000 acres, making it the largest land-owning public port authority in the country.

Its existing infrastructure – handling natural gas liquids, bulk petroleum, refined products and specialised bulk liquids – makes it an ideal base for the efficient distribution of AFR's output. According to AFR, the complex "will serve as a model for the future of American energy".

The project sits squarely within a broader political push for robust domestic energy production.

By developing refining capacity on home soil, AFR and Fluor are helping to reduce the vulnerability of US energy supply chains to external disruption, while simultaneously advancing the case for cleaner fuel production at scale.