Quarterlytics / Energy / Oil & Gas Refining & Marketing / Valero Energy / FY2010 Annual Report

Valero Energy
Annual Report 2010

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FY2010 Annual Report · Valero Energy
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EXCELLENCE

Doing Ordinary Things Extraordinarily Well

VALERO ENERGY CORPORATION 2010 SUMMARY ANNUAL REPORT 

Table of Contents

             1   Map of opEratioNs

             2   fiNaNCiaL suMMary

      3 - 5     to our sharEhoLdErs

      6 - 7     safEty

      8 - 9    opEratioNaL EXCELLENCE

 10 - 11    high-gradiNg our systEM

 12 - 13    Cost-saviNgs iNitiativEs

 14 - 15    rENEwabLEs

 16 - 17    rEtaiL

 18 - 23    our pEopLE aNd our CoMMuNitiEs

         24    board of dirECtors aNd EXECutivE tEaM

         25    stoCkhoLdEr iNforMatioN

vaLEro Map of opEratioNs

UNITED
KINGDOM

PEMBROKE

(Acquisition Pending)

WELCOME

ALBERT CITY

FORT DODGE

CHARLES CITY

JEFFERSON

AURORA

ALBION

HARTLEY

JEAN GAULIN
(QUEBEC)

BENICIA

WILMINGTON

BLOOMINGBURG

LINDEN

MEMPHIS

MCKEE

ARDMORE

SAN ANTONIO

THREE RIVERS

BILL GREEHEY
(EAST & WEST)

PORT ARTHUR

HOUSTON

TEXAS CITY

ST. CHARLES

ARUBA

RETAIL AND BRANDED WHOLESALE PRESENCE

WHOLESALE MARKETING PRESENCE

VALERO HEADQUARTERS

VALERO REFINERIES

ULTRAMAR—CANADIAN OPERATIONS

VALERO ETHANOL PLANTS

CREDIT CARD CENTER

valero Energy Corporation is a fortune 500 company based in san antonio with approximately 20,700 
dedicated employees. a network of 14 refineries gives valero the capacity to process approximately  
2.6 million barrels per day, delivering clean fuels and other petroleum products to consumers efficiently 
and reliably. valero is also a leading ethanol producer with 10 ethanol plants in the Midwest and a 
combined processing capacity of 1.2 billion gallons per year. Meanwhile, valero’s retail and branded 
wholesale network is marketed throughout North america under the brands valero, diamond shamrock, 
shamrock, ultramar and beacon.  please visit www.valero.com for more information.

Map of opEratioNs

1

fiNaNCiaL suMMary

summary annual report
This summary annual report format provides only a financial summary.  The company’s full, audited financial statements 
are contained in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010, which has been filed with the 
SEC and made available to all stockholders.  This information is also available at www.valero.com

[Millions of dollars, except per-share amounts]

opEratiNg rEvENuEs 

opEratiNg iNCoME

iNCoME (Loss) froM CoNtiNuiNg opEratioNs

EarNiNgs (Loss) pEr CoMMoN sharE froM  
CoNtiNuiNg opEratioNs - assuMiNg diLutioN

totaL assEts

stoCkhoLdErs’ EQuity

CapitaL EXpENditurEs aNd dEfErrEd  
turNarouNd aNd CataLyst Costs

2010
as reported

2009
as reported

$
$
$

$

$
$

$

82,233

1,876

923

1.62

37,621

15,025

2,265

$
$
$

$

$
$

$

64,599

83

(273)

(0.50)

35,572

14,725

2,721

please visit www.valero.com to learn more about our company. 

2

fiNaNCiaL suMMary

 
LEttEr to sharEhoLdErs

One year ago, we made a pledge to focus on 
strategic items that would restore profitability and 
help us become a world-class refining industry 
competitor.  Valero has made great progress by 
staying focused, working wisely and rising above 
political and economic challenges.

During 2010, the world economy recovered faster 
and stronger than expected, contributing to a surge 
in global demand for refined products.  At the same 
time, the U.S. economy has been slowly recovering.  
Refining margins and crude oil discounts, measured 
against foreign sweet crude oil, improved 
substantially over the past year. Our capital projects 
and recent transactions have added value and a 
competitive edge to our refining portfolio.  On top 
of all of this, the commitment of our people has 
made a real difference in countless ways – from 
a return to profitability through execution and 
cost-control to improved lives in our communities 
through our tireless volunteers. 

In 2010, we focused on new workplace safety 
programs, cut costs, and relentlessly looked for ways 
to be more efficient, more competitive and more 
profitable.  The results were excellent: improved 
safety and reliability, divestiture of underperforming 

assets, progress on major capital projects, significant 
cost reductions, the acquisition of three more 
world-class ethanol plants and our best operational 
performance in five years.  For 2010, Valero reported 
income from continuing operations of $923 million, 
or $1.62 per share. 

As we look to an even better 2011, here are 
additional highlights from 2010:

SAFETY – OUR HIGHEST PRIORITY

The safety of our people always comes first and is 
the most important effort we make every day.  In 
2010 we began tracking a new industry metric on 
loss of containment, called API process safety events, 
and have increased our efforts to eliminate losses 
of containment across all of our facilities.  We also 
adopted “Life-Saving Rules,” a program that identifies 
the most common causes of serious injuries and 
raises individual accountability to follow basic 
accident-prevention rules.  Our refining system’s 
average total recordable-incident rate (TRIR) was 
the second-lowest in company history, and our 
contractors recorded their lowest-ever TRIR.  Our 
employees and contractors know that safety is 
everyone’s priority, and that by working together, 
our safety performance will continue to improve.

IMPROVED RELIAbILITY WITH CONTINUED FOCUS 
ON OPERATIONAL ExCELLENCE INITIATIVES

In 2010, we made significant progress in key 
reliability measures.  Our Commitment to Excellence 
Management System (CTEMS) is now in its third 
year, delivering a standardized framework for 
safety, operational excellence and reliability.  We 
also are improving reliability through aggressive 
preventive maintenance programs, standardized 
incident tracking tools, retrospective positive 
material identification, and electrical and mechanical 
inspections. Since 2007, the cost of high-impact 
outages in our refinery system has dropped more 
than 70 percent.   

IMPROVED OPTIMIzATION AND PRODUCT YIELDS

High-value refined products and liquid volume 
yield are increasingly important. Through catalyst 
optimization, attention to detail and better 

to our sharEhoLdErs

3

St. Charles and our hydrogen plants at McKee and 
Memphis.  Our competitive Gulf Coast refineries are 
well-positioned for today’s higher-margin export 
opportunities – a significant change in our business 
that we anticipated and benefited from last year 
and so far this year.  Another major change in our 
business has been the discounted price of inland 
domestic sweet crude versus water-borne sweet 
crudes like brent or Louisiana Light Sweet.

However, some challenges remain.  Current 
government regulations and proposals affecting 
greenhouse gases (GHGs) will hurt our industry.  
These regulations being discussed are bad for our 
industry, bad for consumers, bad for jobs, and bad 
for the country – and still would have no impact at 
all on global warming or climate change.  Having 
been unsuccessful in passing cap-and-trade 
legislation in Congress, the Obama Administration 
is attempting to regulate GHGs under the Clean Air 
Act.  This debate is continuing in Congress.

While we are proud to be the world’s largest 
independent refiner and one of the nation’s largest 
fuel retailers and ethanol producers, we take 
even more pride in being an excellent operator 
and corporate citizen.  by doing ordinary things 
extraordinarily well, our employees ensure that 
our company stays the course on safety, reliability, 
profitability and corporate responsibility.  We 
continue to add value to society, making people’s 
lives better and more productive, and we make our 
communities a better place to live and work.

I want to thank our employees for a very dedicated 
effort to make our company successful and you for 
your support, interest, and investment in Valero.

bill Klesse 
Chairman of the board, Chief Executive Officer  
and President

utilization of our conversion capacity, from 2009 to 
2010 we improved our average liquid volume yield 
from 98.6 percent to 99 percent. This 0.4 percent 
gain added $242 million to revenues.  

FINANCIALLY STRONGER AND MORE COMPETITIVE

We maintained our investment-grade credit rating 
in 2010.  In mid-December, we exited a challenging 
East Coast refining market with the sale of our 
refinery in Paulsboro, New Jersey, for $707 million 
including working capital.  We also divested our 
50 percent interest in the Cameron Highway Oil 
Pipeline System for $330 million.  Early in the year, 
we sold our shut-down Delaware City refinery site 
and equipment for $220 million.

Our general and administrative expenses have 
consistently trended downward since 2008, and in 
2010, we achieved an additional $225 million in  
pre-tax cost savings.  Since 2007, our employees 
have saved the company nearly $620 million, before 
taxes, through the execution of numerous cost 
reduction efforts. 

Our U.S. and Canadian retail businesses earned  
$346 million for the year, nearly matching their 
record results in 2008.  After adding three  
world-class ethanol plants to our system, for a total 
of 10, our ethanol business set a record high of  
$209 million in operating income for the year. 

Moving forward, our financial strength and 
significant liquidity allow us to complete major 
value-added capital projects at our refineries.  Valero 
is able to take advantage of attractive acquisition 
opportunities that will improve our competitiveness 
and broaden our geographic footprint.  Our pending 
acquisition of Chevron’s Pembroke Refinery and 
marketing assets in the United Kingdom and Ireland 
with cash on hand is just one example of this 
financial strength.

2011 WILL bE A MUCH bETTER YEAR 

This year, we expect to expand into Europe, 
complete our FCC revamp projects at Memphis 
and St. Charles, and benefit from upgrading 
the coke drums at Port Arthur.  The bulk of our 
active turnaround schedule will be completed by 
summer.  We expect significant progress on our 
high-return hydrocracker projects at Port Arthur and 

4 to our sharEhoLdErs

to our sharEhoLdErs 5

path to EXCELLENCE
Safety

our commitment to safety means a reliable, more stable work force that 
goes home to their families at the end of the day.

Safety First isn’t just an adage or catch phrase at 
Valero. It is our way of doing business. Profits may 
rise and fall, but our most important measure of 
success has always been the health and safety of our 
employees, contractors, customers and neighbors. 
Our safety programs are successful because they 
are developed, supported and carried out by all 
employees – from executive management to the 
newest hire.

This is not a recent focus. Valero has enjoyed a 
legacy of safety. In fact, as Valero has acquired 
refineries since 1997, it has steadily driven down 
employee-incident frequency rates. This effort 
continued in 2010, when our refining system’s 
average total recordable-incident rate (TRIR) of  
0.79 incidents per 200,000 working hours was  
second-lowest in company history. In all, Valero has 
reduced injury rates by 46 percent since 2001.

6 safEty

We also work closely with our contractors to ensure 
they adopt high safety standards. In 2010, Valero 
refinery contractors recorded the company’s 
lowest-ever contractor TRIR at 0.59 – down from the 
previous record-low in 2009.

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health 
Administration (OSHA) is a partner in helping us 
make our plants safer. Under OSHA’s Voluntary 
Protection Program (VPP), in which we voluntarily 
submit to rigorous safety audits, we have made 
it our goal to have each of our U.S. refineries 
designated as “Star Sites,” OSHA’s highest facility 
safety certification. The company currently has  
10 VPP Star Sites in its refining system – representing 
more than one-third of all refinery Star Sites 
nationally. because safety is a team effort, 25 of our 
contractors also were Star Site-certified at the end  
of 2010.

While our Jean Gaulin Refinery in Quebec is not 
subject to OSHA regulation, it holds an internal “VPP 
Star” after passing a first-of-its-kind, VPP-style audit 
by an independent team of professionals trained by 
OSHA. Valero’s Corpus Christi Asphalt Terminal and San 
Antonio Aviation Department also have received OSHA 
Star designations.

In addition, nine U.S. Valero refineries in 2010 were 
recognized for safety performance during the previous 
year with a total of 19 awards from the National 
Petrochemical and Refiners Association (NPRA), which 
recognizes refineries for operating the longest without 
employee-lost-workday injuries, reducing recordable 
injuries and maintaining low injury incidence rates. 
For 2010, the Valero Houston Refinery won our 
company’s Chairman’s Safety Award after recording 
an employee and contractor recordable-injury rate of 
0.0 – a remarkable performance that has happened 
very few times, anywhere. because of its stellar safety 
achievement, Houston also earned honorable mention 
for NPRA’s “Distinguished Safety Award.” 

Safety is also a major priority at our Valero Renewables 
ethanol plants. At the end of 2010, our plant in Aurora, 
South Dakota marked seven years without an OSHA 
lost-time injury, and the plant in Fort Dodge, Iowa, had 
operated more than 12 months without an  
OSHA-recordable injury.

In rail safety, five major rail companies – CSx 
Transportation, Union Pacific, burlington Northern 
Santa Fe, Norfolk Southern and Canadian National 
– have recognized Valero refineries with prestigious 

safety awards for three consecutive years. Canadian 
Pacific Railway awarded a Chemical Shipper Safety 
Award in 2010 to our Valero Renewables plant in 
Welcome, Minn., recognizing the efforts of the plant’s 
Shipping and Receiving Department for excellence in 
transportation safety in 2009.

Valero knows that despite its achievements and 
improvements, safety remains the most urgent issue 
facing the energy industry. That is why, in addition to 
maintaining robust occupational and process safety 
programs, we implemented a program called  
“Life-Saving Rules” in fall 2010 at our refineries, and 
have since expanded it to include ethanol plants, 
pipelines and terminals. We realize that not following 
established practices and executing them correctly 
would put ourselves and our co-workers at risk. Life-
Saving Rules raises accountability if certain critical 
safety rules are not followed.

The seven rules are not new. They have been with 
the industry for a long time, and have been part of 
our ongoing VPP efforts. but based on our belief that 
violations of these particular rules could result in more 
serious and devastating injuries, these rules deserve 
the most serious attention. Our employees have 
become familiar with these rules and how they apply 
to their own roles and responsibilities.

Our safety programs will continue to evolve and 
improve as best safety practices are shared among all 
of our facilities, with the constant goal to achieve safe, 
reliable operations throughout our system.

safEty 7

path to EXCELLENCE
Operational Excellence

our goal is to be a first-quartile refiner in industry benchmark surveys.

At Valero, our goal always is to be the best of the 
best, and that especially is true with operational 
excellence. We strive to be in the first-quartile of 
refiners in industry benchmark surveys across all 
areas of operations, from energy efficiency to cash 
operating expense to process safety and reliability 
metrics such as outages and mechanical availability.

Foremost, Valero recognizes that a reliable operation 
is a safe operation. Valero refineries have made 
significant progress in key process safety and 
reliability measures, positioning the company to take 
full advantage of economic recovery and emerge as 
a stronger industry competitor.

Our company has sharply reduced major unplanned 
refinery shutdowns in recent years. For particularly 
high-impact outages bearing a cost of more than  
$1 million, Valero’s continuing U.S. refinery 
operations cut unscheduled shutdowns by nearly  

8 opEratioNaL EXCELLENCE

70 percent from 2007 through 2010.

The progress is the result of intense process safety 
and reliability assessments to identify areas and 
issues that could keep a unit, process or plant out 
of service. The effort first was piloted in November 
2008, and expanded in 2009, under Valero’s 
Commitment to Excellence Management System 
(CTEMS), a comprehensive program that provides a 
standardized framework for our refineries to achieve 
operational excellence. The assessments have given 
the company a solid strategy to eliminate risks and 
compete in tough market environments.

In 2010, Valero marked the second anniversary of 
CTEMS and saw improvement in areas ranging from 
change management to process hazard analysis 
and preventive maintenance. Efforts at the refineries 
continue to assess existing programs against 
expectations defined in CTEMS, and establish plans 

to close any identified gaps.

While notable progress has been made, Valero aims 
to reduce incidents even further – and maintain  
first-quartile performance across the board – 
by focusing first on the main causes of costly 
unplanned shutdowns that can also lead to injury: 
piping and equipment leaks, rotating equipment 
and electrical failures. Together, those events 
account for more than 75 percent of unscheduled 
shutdowns.

As leaks tend to dominate outages, a “war on leaks” 
was declared systemwide. Refineries have been 
asked to sharpen their focus on even the seemingly 
routine tasks – such as unit monitoring rounds and 
basic inspection programs – in order to identify and 
prevent potential leaks before they trigger an event.

These measures included a comprehensive program 
of “Retro PMI,” or retrospective positive material 
identification, which helps ensure that all pipes 
and valves are the correct material for the service. 
Under the Retro PMI program, piping and other 
fixed equipment are tested to identify their metal 
composition. The primary focus is on crude, vacuum, 
coker and hydroprocessing units most susceptible 
to corrosion. Early detection has played a critical role 
in reducing unplanned shutdowns.

Pumps and other rotating equipment that are not 
properly lubricated or aligned can fail, leading to 
process-unit outages and possible safety incidents. 
Such issues traditionally have been the  
second-leading cause of unscheduled refinery 
shutdowns, behind leaks. Still, stepped-up 
inspections and other efforts at Valero refineries 
have significantly expanded the time between 
needed pump repairs. Companywide, from 2008 
through 2010, average mean time between repairs, 
or MTbR, increased by more than 25 percent. Fixing 
fewer pumps drives cost out of our business and 
ensures our units are running reliably when market 
conditions are favorable.

There has also been steady improvement in 
electrical reliability at Valero refineries since 2007 
under stringent Electrical Safety and Reliability 
Network (ESARN) standards, ramping up preventive 
maintenance of electrical equipment. The ESARN 
assessment tool requires refineries to undertake 

painstaking self-evaluations of all aspects of 
electrical safety and reliability. ESARN has helped 
reduce the number of unplanned shutdowns 
caused by electrical events.

All programs are intended to improve Valero’s 
refinery operations and ensure first-quartile 
performance in all disciplines.

opEratioNaL EXCELLENCE

9

path to EXCELLENCE
High-Grading Our System 

our economic growth projects and strategic acquisitions have potential  
for significant earnings power and returns.

Valero demonstrates its commitment to all 
stakeholders by pursuing economic growth projects 
and high-value, strategic acquisitions that improve 
our opportunities for profitable, long-term growth.

depreciation and amortization (“D&A”), assuming 
recent market prices hold steady. With all of them, 
favorable economics should be driven by better 
reliability and gains on margin and volume.

Our capital spending budget is expected to grow to 
$3.1-$3.2 billion in 2011 from $2.26 billion in 2010, 
with a substantial amount of the total expected 
to fund projects with a potential for significant 
earnings power and returns. This includes Fluid 
Catalytic Cracking (FCC) unit revamps at our  
St. Charles and Memphis refineries, new 
hydrocrackers at Port Arthur and St. Charles, new 
hydrogen plants at McKee and Memphis, and a new 
Lévis to Montreal products pipeline.

These projects alone, with expected completion in 
2011 and 2012, are projected to generate annual 
operating income of more than $1.8 billion, before 

10 high-gradiNg our systEM

The FCC revamp projects at Memphis and  
St. Charles, both set for completion in 2011 at 
estimated total investment of $565 million, are 
expected to improve reliability and increase time 
between turnarounds to four years from  
one-and-a-half years previously. In the case of 
Memphis, the increase in run length should 
drive higher throughput and estimated annual 
maintenance savings of $0.17 per barrel. The 
Memphis project also is expected to improve 
flexibility to run additional discounted feedstocks, 
resulting in estimated annual operating income of 
$104 million, before D&A.

The St. Charles project is expected to provide more 
than 5 percent higher yield through the FCC, and 
improve energy efficiency with a new power recovery 
turbine. It should double the flexibility to process 
lower-priced residual feedstocks, backing out  
higher-priced vacuum gas oil. In all, the project is 
estimated to produce $130 million in annual operating 
income before D&A.

The large hydrocracker projects at Port Arthur and  
St. Charles, due for completion during the second half 
of 2012, should create high-value products from  
low-cost feedstocks plus hydrogen sourced from 
relatively inexpensive natural gas. both will be  
50,000 barrel-per-day hydrocrackers, and the Port 
Arthur project additionally will include facilities that 
are projected to process more than 150,000 barrels per 
day of high-acid, heavy sour Canadian crude. The units 
should generate liquid volume expansions of  
25 percent to 30 percent.

The main products will be high-quality diesel and 
jet fuel to meet growing global demand for middle 
distillates. The projects together are projected to yield 
a total estimated annual operating income before D&A 
of nearly $1.4 billion.

The hydrogen plant projects at Memphis and McKee 
should reduce the cost of hydrogen by about  
one-third, by using cheaper natural gas instead 
of more expensive crude oil, when completed in 
early 2012. The Memphis project also includes the 
conversion of a distillate hydrotreater to a mild 
hydrocracker. The two projects represent a total 
investment of about $180 million, and estimated 
annual operating income before D&A of $160 million. 
The new Lévis to Montreal products pipeline will 
have an initial throughput capacity of 100,000 barrels 
per day, and will allow Valero to place more products 
into the Montreal and Ontario markets. This total 
investment of about $370 million is expected to bring 
an estimated $55 million in annual operating income 
before D&A, with completion expected in late 2012.

Valero pursues acquisitions that enhance its portfolio 
and promise long-term profit growth. We recently 
announced an agreement to acquire Chevron’s 
Pembroke refinery in Wales, as well as marketing and 
logistics assets through the United Kingdom and 
Ireland, for $730 million, excluding working capital.  
We expect to close during third quarter 2011.

The addition of the Pembroke refinery – which Valero 
will purchase for about 14 percent of its estimated 
replacement cost – will mark an important entry into 
the European markets. The Pembroke plant is one of 
Western Europe’s largest and most complex refineries, 
with a total throughput capacity of 270,000 barrels  
per day. The refinery has a low cash operating  
cost-per-barrel, making it a competitive addition to our 
portfolio.

In addition to the refinery, we also will acquire 
ownership interests in four major pipelines and 11 fuel 
terminals, a 14,000 barrel-per-day fuels business and a 
network of more than 1,000 Texaco-branded wholesale 
sites.

Valero will continue to invest in operations and 
consider acquisitions that boost profitability for 
sustained, long-term growth.

high-gradiNg our systEM

11

path to EXCELLENCE
Cost-Savings Initiatives 

since 2007, our dedicated employees have saved the company $620 million 
_ $225 million in 2010 alone.

Cost-saving was a critical part of Valero’s 
improvement in 2010. In fact, the company achieved 
pre-tax cost savings of nearly a quarter of a billion 
dollars, or $225 million – more than double our 
initial goal of $100 million in savings.

Since the beginning of 2007, various cost-savings 
initiatives have resulted in $620 million in  
pre-tax savings. We believe that cost-savings and 
optimization of assets are critical to positioning the 
company with more earnings power for the future, 
and reaching the ultimate objective of becoming 
a world-class competitor in the global energy 
business.

Valero employees are engaged in a coordinated 
effort to help the company reduce costs through 
targeted programs, from effective energy 
stewardship to more strategic procurement of 

12 Cost-saviNgs iNitiativEs

refinery equipment and focused retail initiatives.

Through the fourth quarter of 2010, Valero’s refining 
cash operating expenses per barrel from continuing 
operations was reduced to $3.64 per barrel from 
$4.41 per barrel in 2008. Industry benchmarking 
surveys showed that Valero continued to improve its 
competitive, low-cost operations. 2010 was Valero’s 
best companywide performance in this area in five 
years, and the bill Greehey Refinery complex in 
Corpus Christi, Texas, ranked as one of the lowest-
cost operating facilities on the Gulf Coast.

Meanwhile, Valero refinery energy efficiency 
continued to improve, with a goal of achieving 
first-quartile status. Valero refineries have realized 
substantial annualized energy savings under an 
Energy Stewardship Program which has focused 
on improvements in operations, such as distillation 

and other production processes, which have reduced 
our energy consumption. The facilities cut energy use 
by more than 30 million british thermal units (btu), or 
approximately 8 percent, from 2008 through 2010.

While the company in 2011 will continue to focus on 
safety, reliability, executing on growth projects and 
other income-producing strategies, we have also set a 
goal of achieving another $100 million in pre-tax cost 
savings, on top of 2010’s impressive results.

Employees are encouraged to look for ways to cut 
costs, both in their everyday work and as participants 
in the various initiatives. Savings run the gamut 
companywide, but most come from very identifiable 
areas that are tracked on a regular basis. In order to be 
counted toward the $100 million goal, items must be 
proven to be true cost savings compared with 2010, 
and the result of action taken by a person or group 
to reduce cost. Cost savings must also be considered 
permanent in order to be included.

For example, retail operations have realized savings 
by switching from paper to foam cups. Other savings 
have resulted from a new contract for managing 
retail’s Regional Distribution Center, as well other 
administrative actions.

Commercial operations savings have come in shipping 

activities, including permanent barge rate reductions, 
third-party inspection-fee reductions, demurrage 
recoveries and certain tank/barge cancellations. 
Initiatives in supply-chain management have resulted 
in savings from negotiation of reduced mark-up rates 
with vendors, as well as reduced trading commissions.

Third-party and internal audits of select vendors for 
proper contract compliance have resulted in cost 
recoveries. The company has also benefited from 
volume discounts with contractors, and overall 
contractor headcount at refineries has been reduced, 
resulting in additional savings.

At the refineries, restructuring of personnel has 
produced cost savings, as well as outsourcing of 
several functions such as security and dock operations. 
Organizational restructuring in various departments 
at the corporate level have cut costs, along with 
reductions in corporate administrative expenses, from 
changes in insurance coverage to more beneficial  
tax-planning programs. 

In all of these efforts, large and small, Valero intends 
to accomplish its cost-saving goals, and keep the 
momentum going from our effective results in 2010, 
helping the company move closer to first-quartile 
performance in every way.

Cost-saviNgs iNitiativEs

13

path to EXCELLENCE
Renewables

through strategic acquisition, valero is now one of the largest ethanol 
producers in the united states.

With the addition of three ethanol plants in 2010, 
Valero now has a total of 10 plants and produces  
1.2 billion gallons of ethanol per year.

Under Valero Renewable Fuels Inc. LLC, or Valero 
Renewables, the company became the first 
traditional petroleum refiner to invest in large-scale 
ethanol production. We initially acquired seven 
state-of-the-art plants in second-quarter 2009, 
located in Albert City, Charles City, Fort Dodge 
and Hartley, Iowa; Albion, Nebraska; Aurora, South 
Dakota and Welcome, Minnesota. We closed 
on the three additional high-quality plants in 
bloomingburg, Ohio; Jefferson, Wisconsin; and 
Linden, Indiana, in first-quarter 2010.

The plants have been profitable, posting operating 
income of $209 million in 2010, up from $165 million 
the year prior. Since the initial acquisition through 

14 rENEwabLEs

the end of 2010, Valero Renewables generated 
a total of $373 million in operating income and 
$427 million of earnings before interest, taxes, 
depreciation and amortization – about 56 percent  
of the plants’ total purchase price.

The ethanol business attracted Valero for several 
reasons. Valero is in the fuels manufacturing and 
distribution business, and is one of the nation’s 
largest blenders of ethanol fuel. We were able to 
acquire modern, high-performing facilities for less 
than half of their replacement cost, and ideally 
located in the Midwestern Corn belt with plentiful 
supplies. We retained quality employees, and 
have applied our corporate resources and refining 
expertise to ethanol operations.

Valero entered ethanol production at the right time, 
near the end of a difficult period of overcapacity, 

Our plants are located on up to 420 acres, and employ 
as many as 70 full-time personnel each. Using local 
economy multipliers, each location supports an 
estimated 300 to 400 area jobs, benefiting farmers, 
truck drivers, railroads, agricultural equipment 
and chemical dealers and others. Plant employees 
additionally support their local communities, pledging 
more than $175,000 to United Way for 2011 and 
logging thousands of volunteer hours.

Valero is also active in wind electrical power, under 
its Sunray Wind subsidiary, and investments in new 
bio-fuels processes. We operate a 50-megawatt wind 
farm with 33 turbines in the Texas Panhandle that 
produces electricity for our adjacent McKee Refinery 
and a local utility. Valero has investments in emerging 
technologies that would produce fuel from animal-fat, 
grease and used cooking oil; plant materials and wood; 
algae; and municipal-landfill solid waste.

From corn ethanol to wind power to bio-fuels, Valero 
is positioned for the next generation of energy 
production.

high commodity prices and negative margins. The 
company has since benefited from a market recovery 
and increases in government mandates for additional 
corn ethanol capacity under the federal Renewable 
Fuel Standard, requiring up to 15 billion gallons per 
year to be blended with gasoline by 2015. Valero’s 
annual production represents 8.6 percent of U.S. 
ethanol production, fueling more than 20 million cars.

Ethanol blended with gasoline results in a  
cleaner-burning product. It is a high-octane renewable 
fuel produced by fermenting processed corn starch 
with yeast. Each Renewables plant processes as much 
as 43 million bushels of corn into 110 million to  
120 million gallons of ethanol each year. Valero’s  
10 plants produced an average of 3.25 million gallons 
of ethanol per day in fourth-quarter 2010. Valero buys 
corn directly from hundreds of local farmers and 
dozens of commercial elevators, and receives it by 
truck or rail. On our Web site, we post daily corn bids 
for local farmers and cooperative leaders to use in 
conducting transactions.

In addition, the product that is left after the ethanol is 
produced is a valuable livestock feed called distillers 
grains. Distillers grains are high in protein, fat, vitamins 
and minerals, making it an excellent feed supplement 
for beef and dairy cattle, swine and poultry. Each plant 
annually produces up to 390,000 tons of distillers 
grains – enough to feed as many as 250,000 head of 
cattle. The distillers grains we sell replace about one 
half of the corn we buy from the grains market.

The entire kernel of corn is processed, with one bushel 
of corn yielding approximately 2.8 gallons of ethanol 
and 17 pounds of distillers grains. There are no waste 
products generated from the corn processed.

The ethanol is stored on-site and then shipped mostly 
by rail in 75- to 100-car trains to large customers – 
primarily refiners and gasoline blenders – in markets 
such as New York, Chicago, Dallas, Florida and the West 
Coast. Valero also uses ethanol for its own needs, in 
blending gasoline. We typically have several miles of 
railway track on-site to handle the rail cars we use.

Distillers grains are shipped by truck and rail, and 
occasionally by barge, primarily to animal-feed 
customers locally and across the U.S., Canada and 
Mexico. Valero also sends some distillers grains by  
bulk-container ships to Asian markets.

rENEwabLEs

15

path to EXCELLENCE
Retail

valero retail posted the best first and second quarter results in  
valero history.

Valero’s retail segment earned $346 million in 2010, 
nearly matching record results of 2008. First and 
second quarter results in 2010 were the best ever. 
Of total retail operating income for the year, Valero’s 
company-owned stores in the U.S. earned $200 
million, and Ultramar in Canada added $146 million.

Valero’s U.S. retail operations continued to maintain 
strong cash flow despite a challenging economic 
environment. It was profitable in every month of 
2010, and in 53 of 56 months dating to April 2006.  
In all, retail has generated cash flow of  
$836 million since 2005 in the U.S. The stores 
continued to support local communities in 2010, 
with record-breaking charitable campaigns for the 
Muscular Dystrophy Association ($1.97 million) and 
the Children’s Miracle Network ($1.88 million).

In 2010, inside-sales per store in the U.S. grew  

16 rEtaiL

4 percent, and customer counts rose 2 percent. 
Despite having 10 fewer stores in 2010, inside gross 
profit dollars actually rose by $13.6 million. Valero’s 
company-owned stores in the U.S. served 865,000 
customers per day. 

Fuel profitability improved over 2009, with sales 
of 120,000 barrels per day at 994 stores in the U.S. 
Average per-store volume was 155,000 gallons per 
month, up 2.1 percent from 2009. Fuel gross profit 
was $32 million, 11 percent more than the prior year, 
with margins at 17.7 cents per gallon versus  
16.1 cents per gallon the previous year.

Expense control at our U.S. stores continues to 
make a difference. Employee turnover was a record 
low in 2010, reducing hiring and training costs. 
Store supplies were 7 percent below budget, and 
$5 million in cost savings were realized through 

Our Ultramar merchandise sales performance was 
better-than-market. Sales of cigarettes were up  
15.6 percent; slush, up 27 percent; beverage, up  
13 percent; wine, up 14 percent; and coffee, up  
5 percent. Ultramar also had a strong year in carwash 
sales, at $9.1 million, up $1.5 million from 2009.

Our Ultramar network has 252 company-operated 
stores, 87 sites representing our new image, and 
70 sites with touchless carwashes. We’re looking at 
all options to grow our highly successful network, 
through acquisitions, dealers, and new builds and 
redevelopments.

Our home heat business in 2010 reflected the warmest 
winter on record, with volume down slightly to  
96.2 gallons, from 106.4 gallons the year before, and 
fuel margin down to 53.9 cents per gallon from  
51.8 cents per gallon in 2009. However, expenses were 
down, and we continue to focus on acquisitions and 
growing the business.

From the U.S. to Canada to the Caribbean, our retail 
mission is to win every customer, every day.

aggressive sourcing initiatives. There continues to 
be a conscious effort to resist supply cost increases 
and emphasize “value engineering” in construction 
and remodeling projects. Use of social media is 
under evaluation as we seek to find low-cost ways 
to effectively engage customers directly and better 
manage point-of-sale advertising.

Ethanol blending at U.S. stores grew from 68 percent 
to 100 percent of volume. E85, a blend of 85 percent 
ethanol with 15 percent gasoline that is approved for 
“Flex-Fuel” vehicles, was introduced at five stores, with 
plans for more at future new locations. Valero also 
is exploring the requirements and opportunity for 
electric-vehicle charging stations at its stores.

Consumers continue to reward us for investing in 
our assets. We spent $68 million in 2010 to build new 
stores in the U.S. and remodel others, allowing us 
to strengthen our market position and posture for 
continued economic recovery. During the year, Valero 
completed seven new-to-industry stores, 54 remodels, 
nine carwash upgrades and 41 food projects. Our 
stores are brighter, cleaner and easier to shop, with 
broader offerings especially in our new builds – from 
food and refreshments to “super-sized” restrooms.

In Canada, Ultramar retail posted record operating 
income, volume, merchandise sales and margins in 
2010. Operating income of $146 million represented 
an increase of more than 20 percent. Volume rose to 
861.5 million gallons, from 849 million the year before. 
Merchandise sales increased 8.9 percent to  
$239.9 million, and fuel margins grew slightly to  
35.5 cents per gallon.

We achieved our lowest ever net operating cost at 
company-owned Ultramar locations, of 1.02 cents 
per liter at store-level, and 1.76 cents per liter overall. 
Return on capital employed reached 44.4 percent,  
after tax.

We continued to transform our Ultramar network, 
closing 33 sites but opening 21 stores in 2010. We 
expect our number of stores to grow in 2011. Ultramar 
projects capital expenditures of $35 million in 2011, 
with $25 million considered strategic – for four new 
stores, eight redevelopments and 11 re-identifications 
– and $10 million for sustained operations. We plan to 
add 24 dealer sites, mostly in Ontario.

rEtaiL

17

path to EXCELLENCE
Our People and Our Communities

investing in our employees and our communities is an investment in 
the future.

In 2010, we invested more than $2.2 billion in our 
assets – capital projects and improvements that help 
us continue to be efficient and reliable. While these 
are essential to the success of our company, no 
investment is more impactful than those we make in 
our employees and the world around us. 

Employees at Valero sit at the heart of our 
Commitment to Excellence in business. As our most 
important asset, employees’ needs are evaluated 
at every turn – from competitive pay and benefits 
to resources for life and family management. 
Continuing education for career development is 
encouraged through an in-house, systemwide 
learning and education operation, and leadership 
opportunities are available to every individual. 
Health and wellness are also essential for our 
employees, so annual health screenings and 

18 our pEopLE aNd our CoMMuNitiEs

access to fitness programs continue to be worthy 
investments.

As an industry leader and visible community partner, 
Valero embraces the challenge to create measurable 
change in the communities where our employees 
live and work. Above all, Valero’s goal is to improve lives 
through our products and our people. This remains 
true regardless of the state of our business – in 
strong times or during a weak economy, Valero is 
committed to providing consistent, dependable 
support to nonprofit organizations and their causes 
in our community. Through organized leadership 
and strong civic relationships, our volunteer efforts 
led to greater stability, educational opportunity and 
confidence for the individuals we served in 2010.

Financially, Valero and its employees gave 
generously in 2010, pledging $10.6 million to the 

United Way and helping nearly 50 United Way 
chapters across the United States. In addition, the 
Valero Energy Foundation contributed more than 
$20 million in 2010 to improve the lives of children, 
families and senior citizens living in or near the 
communities where Valero has major operations. 

supportiNg our CoMMuNitiEs
below is a sampling of agencies and organizations  
that received financial support in 2010.

4H Clubs Organizations
American Diabetes Association
American Red Cross
Any baby Can Alliance
benicia Community Action Council
big brothers big Sisters
boy Scouts of America
Child Abuse Prevention Services
Dress for Success
Epilepsy Foundation
Foster a Dream Inc.
Girls Scouts of America
Girls Inc.
Habitat for Humanity
Junior Achievement
Komen Race for the Cure
Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
Memphis Child Advocacy Center

Muscular Dystrophy Association
National Audubon Society
National Kidney Foundation
National MS Society
Pediatric brain Tumor Foundation
Rise School of Corpus Christi Inc.
Santa Rosa Children’s Hospital
Solano County Foster Parents
Special Olympics
Spina bifida Association
Teach for America
Texas City ISD
United Negro College Fund
United Way
Urban Connection
Young Life
YWCA

Valero’s 23 Volunteer Councils, comprised 
of employees from every level of operation, 
coordinated hundreds of projects in the U.S., Canada 

and in Aruba. The efforts generated more than 
140,000 volunteer hours, saving the organizations 
we served an estimated $3 million in labor and 
make-ready costs. This year and every year, the 
impact of Valero Volunteers can be felt at every 
level of society. Our people enjoy the gift of service, 
and we support them every chance we get. We 
make hope happen through a flood of financial 
support, community leadership and outreach for 
efforts such as Habitat for Humanity, the Valero Texas 
Open benefit for Children Golf Classic, the National 
MS Society fundraising bike rides, local area food 
banks and the United Way. In a majority of locations, 
child- and education-related efforts are part of our 
volunteer activity because we deeply believe in the 
investment in our nation’s children. In education, 
business, government and community leadership, 
children hold the keys to a better future. 

At our facilities and in the community, we are a 
stronger Valero because of our people. The hard 
work and dedication of our 20,000 employees across 
North America and the Caribbean allowed us as 
a company to be nimble in tough times. We cut 
costs. We improved operations. Most importantly, 
we improved the lives of our neighbors and 
communities.

our pEopLE aNd our CoMMuNitiEs

19

our pEopLE

20
20 our pEopLE aNd our CoMMuNitiEs

our CoMMuNitiEs

our pEopLE aNd our CoMMuNitiEs

21
21

our pEopLE

22 our pEopLE aNd our CoMMuNitiEs

our CoMMuNitiEs

our pEopLE aNd our CoMMuNitiEs

23

EXECutivE tEaM:

Bill Klesse
Chairman of the board, CEO 
and President

Jean Bernier
Executive Vice  
President, Corporate  
Communications,  
Information Services  
& Supply Chain  
Management

Kim Bowers
Executive Vice President 
and General Counsel

Mike Ciskowski
Executive Vice President 
and Chief Financial Officer

Gene Edwards
Executive Vice President 
and Chief Development 
Officer

Joe Gorder
Executive Vice President 
and Chief Commercial 
Officer

Gary Arthur Jr.
Senior Vice President-Retail 
Marketing

Jay Browning
Senior Vice President- 
Corporate Law and  
Secretary

Mike Crownover
Senior Vice President-
Human Resources

Jim Gillingham
Senior Vice President-
Alternative Energy and 
Project Development

Clay Killinger
Senior Vice President  
and Controller

Lane Riggs
Senior Vice President-
Refining Operations

Eric Fisher
Vice President–Investor  
and Corporate  
Communications

Martin Parrish
Vice President-Crude, 
Feedstock Supply  
& Trading 

Gary Simmons
Vice President- 
Optimization, Planning  
& Economics

Donna Titzman
Vice President  
and Treasurer

board of dirECtors

staNdiNg, LEft to right:

Randall J. Weisenburger

Executive vice president and Chief financial officer of omnicom group, inc.

Dr. Ronald K. Calgaard

Chairman of the ray Ellison grandchildren trust in san antonio, texas; former president of trinity university  
in san antonio

Sen. Don Nickles

retired u.s. senator (r-okla.); Chairman and CEo of the Nickles group

Dr. Susan Purcell

director of the Center for hemispheric policy at the university of Miami

Jerry D. Choate

former Chairman of the board and CEo of allstate Corporation

Rayford Wilkins Jr.

CEo-diversified business of at&t

Stephen M. Waters 

Managing partner of Compass advisers LLp; Chief Executive of Compass partners European Equity fund

sEatEd, LEft to right:

William R. Klesse

Chairman of the board, CEo and president of valero Energy Corporation

Bob Marbut

former director and Chairman of risCo u.s.

Robert A. Profusek

partner and practice Leader, Mergers and acquisitions, of Jones day

Ruben M. Escobedo

owner of ruben Escobedo & Company

24 board of dirECtors aNd EXECutivE tEaM

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
stoCkhoLdEr iNforMatioN

annual Meeting
Valero’s annual meeting of stockholders is scheduled to be held at 10 a.m., Thursday, April 28, 2011, at Valero’s corporate 
headquarters, located at One Valero Way in San Antonio, Texas. Valero’s 2010 Annual Report on Form10-K and the proxy 
statement for the 2011 Annual Meeting of Stockholders can be accessed at www.valero.com (Investor Relations section).

valero Energy Corporation Common stock
Valero’s common stock is listed for trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol “VLO.”

transfer agent and registrar
Computershare Investor Services has been appointed transfer agent, registrar and dividend disbursing agent for Valero’s 
common stock. Inquiries with respect to stock accounts and dividends and all requests to transfer certificates should be 
addressed to:

Computershare Investor Services 
250 Royall Street 
Canton, MA  02021 
(888) 470-2938 
(312) 360-5261 
www.computershare.com/contactus

dividend withholding  
Under federal income tax law, you are subject to certain penalties, as well as withholding with respect to your dividend 
payments, if you have not provided Valero with your correct Social Security number or other taxpayer identification number. 
For this reason, any security holder who has not provided a taxpayer identification number should obtain a Form W-9 (Payer’s 
Request for Taxpayer Identification Number). To request a Form W-9, please contact Valero’s transfer agent and registrar at the 
address shown above.

forward-Looking statements
Certain information provided in this report includes or is based upon estimates, predictions, projections and other “forward-looking statements” (as defined in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and 
Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) that involve various risks and uncertainties. While these forward-looking statements, and any assumptions upon which they are based, are made in good 
faith and reflect Valero’s current judgment regarding the direction of its business, actual results will almost always vary, sometimes materially, from any estimates, predictions, projections, assumptions, 
or other future performance suggested herein. Certain risks and uncertainties that may affect Valero are detailed from time to time in its SEC reports, including Valero’s most recent Annual Report on Form 
10-K. The financial and other information provided in this summary annual report should be read in conjunction with Valero Energy Corporation’s complete Consolidated Financial Statements (including 
the notes) and Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations. This and other information about Valero is contained in Valero’s Notice of the 2011 Annual Meeting of 
Stockholders Proxy Statement and Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010. This document is provided to all stockholders of record as of March 1, 2011. In addition, persons may request, without 
charge, a Form 10-K by writing or calling Valero’s Investor Relations Department. Valero’s 2010 Annual Report on Form 10-K and the Proxy Statement also may be accessed at www.valero.com.

please visit www.valero.com to learn more about our company. 

CoNtaCt iNforMatioN

VALERO CORPORATE 
HEADQUARTERS
One Valero Way
San Antonio, TX 78249-1616
(210) 345-2000

WEB SITE
www.valero.com

INVESTOR INQUIRIES 
Investor Relations Department
P.O. Box 696000
San Antonio, TX 78269-6000
(800) 531-7911 or (210) 345-2198
(210) 345-2103 (fax)
investorrelations@valero.com

MEDIA INQUIRIES
Media Relations Department
P.O. Box 696000
San Antonio, TX 78269-6000
(800) 531-7911 or (210) 345-2928
(210) 345-2103 (fax)
corporatecommunications@valero.com

stoCkhoLdEr iNforMatioN

25

valero Energy Corporation
one valero way
san antonio, texas 78249

www.valero.com