The Big Story 

The Trump administration is looking to reopen closed oil refineries, including an embattled one in the Virgin Islands, amid high gasoline prices caused by the Iran war.

AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes, File

A White House official confirmed to The Hill in an email Thursday that the Trump administration “would like to see refineries across the country reopen, especially the St. Croix refinery.”

The official said this refinery is of particular interest because it was built to refine Venezuelan oil and because of its “strategic” location.

The official said that since April 2025, companies have approached the administration to express interest in purchasing the refinery and that this has ramped up since the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and U.S. takeover of the country’s infrastructure. 

The refinery push was first reported by Politico. Three industry executives told the news outlet that the White House has had discussions about reopening refineries ranging from the Virgin Islands to California. 

Read more at TheHill.com.

Welcome to The Hill’s Energy & Environment newsletter, I’m Rachel Frazin — keeping you up to speed on the policies impacting everything from oil and gas to new supply chains.

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