Top Largest Oil Refineries in Asia

Asia is home to several large oil refineries crucial in meeting the continent’s growing energy demand and supporting economic development.

These refineries process crude oil into various petroleum products, such as gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, and petrochemical feedstocks to domestic use and export to global markets.

The largest oil refineries in Asia are generally located in strategic locations such as coastal regions or near major industrial hubs, ensuring smooth access to crude oil imports and efficient distribution of refined products.

Read: Top 10 Largest Oil Refineries in Africa

Top Largest Oil Refineries in Asia

Below describes the top larges oil refineries spanning the African continent:

Jamnagar Refinery (India)

• Location: Motikhavdi, Jamnagar, Gujarat, India
• Capacity: 1.24 million barrels per day
• Operator: Reliance Industries
• Products: 
  • Fuels: Petrol, diesel, jet fuel, and kerosene.
  • Petrochemicals: Polypropylene polyethylene, and ethylene.
  • Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG): Catering to domestic and industrial energy needs
  • Sulfur
  • Petroleum coke
• Crude Source:
  • Global Imports: Nigeria, the US, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iraq, and Kuwait.
• Market Reach & Distribution
  • Reliance supplies fuels like gasoline, diesel, LPG, and jet fuel across India.
  • Products are distributed through pipelines, railways, and road transport to cater to industrial, commercial, and retail customers.
  • India exports refined products such as jet fuel, Naptha and diesel to Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Americas.
  • The refinery’s location at Sikka Port, near the west coast of India, ensures direct access to major global shipping lanes.
  • Jamnagar’s integrated petrochemical complex supplies polyethene, polypropylene, and other products to industries globally.

The Jamnagar Refinery is India’s largest oil refinery, Asia’s largest oil refinery, and the world’s largest oil refinery. Located in the Jamnagar Special Economic Zone, the facility churns out 1,240,000 barrels of oil daily. This represents 1.6% of global capacity and more than 30% of total oil consumption in India. Also, the refinery can process various crude oils, including heavy and sour crudes. It has a high level of complexity, allowing it to produce various products, including gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, and petrochemicals. However, despite being the largest oil refinery in Asia, it faces various challenges. These include crude price volatility and competition from other global refining hubs, particularly in the Middle East and Asia. Also, there is political instability in the Middle East and rising operational costs regarding raw materials and labor.

Ulsan Refinery (South Korea)

• Location: Ulsan, South Korea
• Capacity: 840,000 barrels per day
• Operator: SK Energy
• Products: 
  • Fuels: Petrol, diesel, jet fuel, fuel oil, LPG, asphalt, naptha, and kerosene.
  • Petrochemicals: Ethylene, Propylene, Benzene, Toluene & Xylene.
  • Specialty Products: Premium lubricants, eco-friendly fuel products, high-octane fuels.
• Crude Source: Global Imports
  • Middle East (Primary Source): Saudi Arabia (largest supplier, Arabian Light and Arabian Heavy crude), Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates.
  • Russia: South Korea imports Russian crude oil via the Eastern Siberia–Pacific Ocean oil pipeline.
  • United States: Imports US WTI (West Texas Intermediate), Eagle Ford crude, and Permian Basin grades.
  • Africa: Imports African crude, such as Bonny Light (Nigeria) and Angolan grades.
• Market Reach & Distribution
  • The refinery supplies fuels like gasoline and diesel to the country’s largest network of service stations.
  • Industrial Customers: Supplies jet fuel, marine fuel, and petrochemical feedstocks to domestic industries, including aviation and shipping.
  • Pipelines: Refined products are moved directly to key distribution hubs via pipeline networks.
  • Rail and Road: Tanker trucks and rail networks guarantee the delivery of refined products to inland areas.
  • Export Markets: The Ulsan Refinery exports some refined products to over 50 countries in Asia, Oceania, and Europe.

The Ulsan Refinery is Asia’s 2nd largest oil refinery and 3rd largest oil refinery globally, with a refining capacity of 840,000 barrels per day. The refinery produces a variety of petroleum products. Its location in Ulsan, a major port city, provides easy access to crude oil shipments from the Middle East, South America, and Africa, as well as efficient distribution of finished products to domestic and international markets.

Yeosu Refinery (South Korea)

• Location: Yeosu, South Jeolla Province, South Korea
• Capacity: 800,000 barrels per day
• Operator: GS Caltex Corporation – GS Energy (50%) and Chevron Corporation (50%)
• Products: 
  • Fuels: Petrol, diesel, jet fuel, marine fuel, LPG, and kerosene.
  • Petrochemicals: Ethylene, Polypropylene, Propylene, Benzene, Base oils, Naptha, Toluene & Xylene.
  • Specialty Products: Sulfur & Asphalt.
• Crude Source: Global Imports
  • Middle East (Primary Source): Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates.
  • United States: Imports US WTI (West Texas Intermediate) and Permian Basin grades.
  • Africa: Nigeria and Angola.
• Market Reach & Distribution
  • The refinery supplies fuels like gasoline and diesel to GS Caltex-branded gas stations nationwide.
  • Industrial Customers: Supplies jet fuel, marine fuel, and petrochemical feedstocks to domestic industries, including aviation, transportation, and shipping.
  • Export Markets: The Refinery exports refined & petrochemicals products to global markets, especially Europe, the Middle East, and the Americas. Major exports include jet fuel, diesel, naphtha, and base oils for lubricants. Petrochemical feedstocks exports include propylene and aromatics (benzene, toluene, xylene).

The Yeosu Refinery is one of South Korea’s largest and among Asia’s top largest oil refineries. It is operated by GS Caltex, a joint venture between GS Group and Chevron. The refinery has a crude oil processing capacity of 800,000 barrels per day, making it one of the largest oil refineries in Asia & the world. It produces various products, including gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, heating oil, and petrochemical feedstocks. The complex also includes several petrochemical plants that produce various products, including olefins, aromatics, and polymers. Its strategic location along South Korea’s southern coast facilitates efficient shipping and export of products to global markets, particularly in Asia.

Onsan Refinery (South Korea)

• Location: Onsan Industrial Complex, Ulsan, South Korea
• Capacity: 669,000 barrels per day
• Operator: S-Oil Corporation, with Saudi Aramco as the majority shareholder (about 63.4% ownership).
• Products: 
  • Fuels: Petrol, diesel, jet fuel, marine fuel, and kerosene.
  • Petrochemicals: Polypropylene, Propylene, and Paraxylene
  • Specialty Products: Base oils, lubricants & Asphalt.
• Crude Source: Global Imports
  • Middle East (Primary Source): Saudi Arabia (Arab Light & Arab Extra Light).
• Market Reach & Distribution
  • The refinery supplies fuels like gasoline and diesel to service stations and industries.
  • Petrochemical products like paraxylene and propylene are distributed to local industries, including textiles, plastics, and packaging.
  • Pipelines: Direct pipelines connect the refinery to storage terminals and distribution hubs across South Korea.
  • Export Markets: The Refinery exports refined & petrochemicals products to global markets, especially China, Japan, Southeast Asia, Middle East, and Europe.

The Onsan Refinery is one of South Korea’s largest and among Asia’s top largest oil refineries. It is operated by S-Oil Corporation, with Saudi Aramco as the majority shareholder (about 63.4% ownership). The refinery has a crude oil processing capacity of 669,000 barrels per day, making it one of the largest oil refineries in Asia & the world. It produces various products, including gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, heating oil, and petrochemical feedstocks.

ExxonMobil Singapore Refinery (Singapore)

• Location: Jurong Island and Pulau Ayer Chawan (PAC), Singapore.
• Capacity: 605,000 barrels per day
• Operator: Exxon Mobil
• Products: 
  • Fuels: Gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, and marine fuels (including low-sulfur bunker fuel for ships).
  • Petrochemical Feedstocks: Ethylene, propylene, and aromatics.
  • Lubricants: High-performance Mobil-branded lubricants for industrial and automotive applications.
• Crude Source: Global Imports
  • Middle East (Primary Source): Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait
  • Africa: Nigeria and Angola
• Market Reach & Distribution
  • The refinery supplies fuels like gasoline and diesel to service stations and industries.
  • Pipelines: Transfers petrochemical feedstocks to adjacent plants within the integrated complex on Jurong Island.
  • Trucks and Tankers: Delivers refined products like gasoline and diesel to local and regional distributors.
  • Export Markets: The Refinery exports refined & petrochemical products to Europe, North America, and other regions via global shipping routes.

The ExxonMobil Singapore Refinery is a cornerstone of ExxonMobil’s critical hub for energy and petrochemical production in the Asia-Pacific region. Strategically located on Jurong Island and Pulau Ayer Chawan (PAC), it is one of the largest oil refineries, with a crude oil processing capacity of approximately 592,000 barrels per day. Its integration with ExxonMobil’s Singapore Chemical Plant allows for the efficient production of gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, base oils, and petrochemical feedstocks like ethylene and propylene.

Daesan Refinery (South Korea)

• Location: Daesan Industrial Complex in Seosan, South Chungcheong Province, South Korea.
• Capacity: 592,000 barrels per day
• Operator: Hyundai Oilbank
• Products: 
  • Fuels: Gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, and Koresene.
  • Petrochemical Feedstocks: Benzene, polypropylene, toluene, xylene, propylene, para-xylene.
  • Specialty Products: Asphalt, Lubricants, Heavy fuel oil.
• Crude Source: Global Imports
  • Middle East (Primary Source): Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Iran, Kuwait
• Market Reach & Distribution
  • The refinery supplies fuels like gasoline and diesel to service stations, plants, and industries.
  • Export Markets: The Refinery exports refined & petrochemical products to Southeast Asia, Japan, and the Middle East.

The Daesan Refinery is one of the key oil refining facilities of Hyundai Oilbank, a major player in the South Korean energy industry. With a refining capacity of about 592,000 barrels per day, it produces a wide range of petroleum products, including gasoline, diesel, kerosene, jet fuel, and petrochemical feedstocks, distributed domestically and exported to global markets.

Shell Pulau Bukom Refinery

• Location: Pulau Bukom, Singapore
• Capacity: 500,000 barrels per day
• Operator: Shell
• Products: 
  • Fuels: Gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, and marine fuels
  • Petrochemical Feedstocks: Naptha, propylene, and aromatics ((Benzene, Toluene, Xylene)
  • Others: Specialty chemicals, Fuel oil & lubricants, Liquefied Petroleum Gas.
• Crude Source: Global Imports
  • Middle East (Primary Source): Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait
  • Africa: Nigeria and Angola
• Market Reach & Distribution
  • The refinery supplies fuels like gasoline and diesel to service stations, plants, and industries.
  • Export Markets: The Refinery exports refined & petrochemical products to regional markets in Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and beyond

The Shell Pulau Bukom Refinery is a key oil refinery located on Pulau Bukom, an island off the southern coast of Singapore. It is one of the largest oil refineries in Asia, with a capacity of approximately 500,000 barrels per day. The refinery plays a crucial role in producing and distributing various refined petroleum products, including gasoline, diesel, kerosene, and jet fuel. It serves regional and international markets, supplying energy products to meet growing Asian demand.