Condensed Consolidating Financial Statements, Statement of Income (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions		3 Months Ended
		Mar. 31, 2019	Mar. 31, 2018
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues	[1]	$ 24,263	$ 26,439
Cost of sales:
Cost of materials and other		21,978	23,756
Operating expenses (excluding depreciation and amortization expense reflected below)		1,215	1,136
Depreciation and amortization expense		537	485
Total cost of sales		23,730	25,377
Other operating expenses		2	10
General and administrative expenses (excluding depreciation and amortization expense reflected below)		209	238
Depreciation and amortization expense		14	13
Operating income (loss)		308	801
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries		0	0
Other income, net		22	51
Interest and debt expense, net of capitalized interest		(112)	(121)
Income before income tax expense		218	731
Income tax expense (benefit)		51	149
Net income		167	582
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests		26	113
Net income attributable to Valero Energy Corporation stockholders		141	469
Eliminations [Member]
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues		0	0
Cost of sales:
Cost of materials and other		0	0
Operating expenses (excluding depreciation and amortization expense reflected below)		0	0
Depreciation and amortization expense		0	0
Total cost of sales		0	0
Other operating expenses		0	0
General and administrative expenses (excluding depreciation and amortization expense reflected below)		0	0
Depreciation and amortization expense		0	0
Operating income (loss)		0	0
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries		(436)	(961)
Other income, net		(179)	(169)
Interest and debt expense, net of capitalized interest		179	169
Income before income tax expense		(436)	(961)
Income tax expense (benefit)		0	0
Net income		(436)	(961)
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests		(23)	(97)
Net income attributable to Valero Energy Corporation stockholders		(413)	(864)
Valero Energy Corporation [Member] | Reportable Legal Entities [Member]
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues		0	0
Cost of sales:
Cost of materials and other		0	0
Operating expenses (excluding depreciation and amortization expense reflected below)		0	0
Depreciation and amortization expense		0	0
Total cost of sales		0	0
Other operating expenses		0	0
General and administrative expenses (excluding depreciation and amortization expense reflected below)		1	1
Depreciation and amortization expense		0	0
Operating income (loss)		(1)	(1)
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries		264	720
Other income, net		54	69
Interest and debt expense, net of capitalized interest		(232)	(218)
Income before income tax expense		85	570
Income tax expense (benefit)		(82)	(12)
Net income		167	582
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests		26	113
Net income attributable to Valero Energy Corporation stockholders		141	469
Valero Energy Partners LP [Member] | Reportable Legal Entities [Member]
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues		0	0
Cost of sales:
Cost of materials and other		0	0
Operating expenses (excluding depreciation and amortization expense reflected below)		0	0
Depreciation and amortization expense		0	0
Total cost of sales		0	0
Other operating expenses		0	0
General and administrative expenses (excluding depreciation and amortization expense reflected below)		0	0
Depreciation and amortization expense		0	0
Operating income (loss)		0	0
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries		82	78
Other income, net		0	0
Interest and debt expense, net of capitalized interest		(15)	(12)
Income before income tax expense		67	66
Income tax expense (benefit)		0	0
Net income		67	66
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests		0	0
Net income attributable to Valero Energy Corporation stockholders		67	66
Other Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member] | Reportable Legal Entities [Member]
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues		24,263	26,439
Cost of sales:
Cost of materials and other		21,978	23,756
Operating expenses (excluding depreciation and amortization expense reflected below)		1,215	1,136
Depreciation and amortization expense		537	485
Total cost of sales		23,730	25,377
Other operating expenses		2	10
General and administrative expenses (excluding depreciation and amortization expense reflected below)		208	237
Depreciation and amortization expense		14	13
Operating income (loss)		309	802
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries		90	163
Other income, net		147	151
Interest and debt expense, net of capitalized interest		(44)	(60)
Income before income tax expense		502	1,056
Income tax expense (benefit)		133	161
Net income		369	895
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests		23	97
Net income attributable to Valero Energy Corporation stockholders		$ 346	$ 798

[1] Includes excise taxes on sales by certain of our international operations of $1,330 million and $1,464 million for the three months ended March 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively.