The timing, technology and vision are right for Raven Petroleum to develop the first U.S.-based refinery in over 40 years. Christopher Moore is a Texas entrepreneur and the CEO of Raven Petroleum - and he’s choosing to build in Texas, to refine that “light, sweet Texas crude.” The newly deregulated Mexican energy market and the surplus of Texas crude oil unlocked by the shale revolution are what m
ake this the perfect opportunity. There’s a reason no new refineries have been built in the US in four decades: cost. By focusing on the niche market of exporting, Raven Petroleum is able to overcome the high cost and barriers to entry by avoiding directly competing with the “big boys,” like Exxon, Mobile and Shell. Moore is a Texan who wants to support Texans. Raven could more easily build the refinery in Mexico, and for less money, but he is determined to see Texas benefit from the immediate and long-term jobs the refinery will bring to South Texas. Early projections are that the project will create 1,500 to 1,800 jobs just during the construction phase, bringing much-needed financial growth to the area, and provide a sustained 300 to 400 permanent jobs. And he’s determined to prove he can do it with the safest and most environmentally friendly facility in existence today.
