America First Refining (AFR), which is developing a new greenfield refinery at the port of Brownsville, Texas, announced on September 3, 2026 that it has awarded a Storage Tank Farm FEED (Front-End Engineering Design) contract to Matrix Service Company, a Houston-based engineering firm, according to the report.
The contract covers front-end engineering design for the refinery’s crude and product storage tank farm, described as a key step toward a Final Investment Decision (FID), it is reported. Fluor was awarded the overall engineering and design contract for the refinery in April 2026, with Axens selected as the process licensor, according to the report. The planned refinery is designed to process approximately 60 million barrels per year of Permian Basin shale oil to produce ultra-low-sulfur diesel, jet fuel and specialty gasoline, on a site of more than 240 acres, it is reported. Specific construction technology for the storage tank farm itself has not been disclosed.
The storage tank farm FEED contract was awarded by America First Refining to Matrix Service Company; the contract value has not been disclosed. The planned refinery is designed to process approximately 60 million barrels per year of Permian Basin shale oil, with a site of more than 240 acres, an estimated construction workforce of about 2,000, and roughly 500 permanent jobs upon completion, according to the report. The process licensor is Axens, and the announcement was made on September 3, 2026.
The new Brownsville refinery is reported to be a greenfield project aimed at processing Permian Basin shale oil into higher-value petroleum products such as ultra-low-sulfur diesel and jet fuel. The sequential award of engineering contracts, including the storage tank farm FEED, ahead of FID reflects the project’s gradual progress toward a final investment decision.
The sequential award of engineering contracts even before FID for a new greenfield U.S. refinery project illustrates a broader trend of refining-sector investment aimed at expanding processing capacity for Permian Basin shale oil, along with related EPC and equipment contract opportunities.
Key points to watch include the timing of the Final Investment Decision, whether a subsequent main EPC contract will be awarded, and the actual construction start and startup schedule.