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Variable Interest Entities (Details) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
Variable Interest Entities (Details) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) refineries	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2013 USD ($)
Assets
Cash and temporary cash investments	$ 4,816	$ 4,114	$ 3,689	$ 4,292
Property, plant, and equipment, net	26,472	26,703
Liabilities
Current liabilities	8,328	6,994
Debt and capital lease obligations, less current portion	$ 7,886	7,208
Variable Interest Entity (Textual)
Number of refineries impacted by VLP operations \| refineries	10
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary [Member]
Assets
Cash and temporary cash investments	$ 253	132
Other current assets	90	211
Property, plant, and equipment, net	1,353	1,243
Liabilities
Current liabilities	39	43
Debt and capital lease obligations, less current portion	571	175
Valero Energy Partners LP [Member]
Assets
Cash and temporary cash investments	71	81
Other current assets	3	0
Property, plant, and equipment, net	865	747
Liabilities
Current liabilities	15	13
Debt and capital lease obligations, less current portion	$ 525	175
Valero Energy Partners LP [Member] \| Limited Partner [Member]
Variable Interest Entity (Textual)
Ownership percentage	66.40%
Valero Energy Partners LP [Member] \| General Partner [Member]
Variable Interest Entity (Textual)
Ownership percentage	2.00%
Diamond Green Diesel Holdings LLC [Member]
Assets
Cash and temporary cash investments	$ 167	44
Other current assets	87	211
Property, plant, and equipment, net	355	356
Liabilities
Current liabilities	17	12
Debt and capital lease obligations, less current portion	$ 0	0
Variable Interest Entity (Textual)
Ownership percentage	50.00%
Maximum percentage of joint venture construction costs financed	60.00%
Other Variable Interest Entities [Member]
Assets
Cash and temporary cash investments	$ 15	7
Other current assets	0	0
Property, plant, and equipment, net	133	140
Liabilities
Current liabilities	7	18
Debt and capital lease obligations, less current portion	$ 46	$ 0
Variable Interest Entity (Textual)
Ownership percentage	50.00%
Valero Energy Partners LP - Public Unitholders [Member] \| Limited Partner [Member]
Variable Interest Entity (Textual)
Ownership percentage	31.60%