Condensed Consolidating Financial Statements, Statement of Income (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions		3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
		Jun. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2018
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues	[1]	$ 28,933	$ 31,015	$ 53,196	$ 57,454
Cost of sales:
Cost of materials and other		26,083	27,860	48,061	51,616
Operating expenses (excluding depreciation and amortization expense reflected below)		1,175	1,110	2,390	2,246
Depreciation and amortization expense		552	510	1,089	995
Total cost of sales		27,810	29,480	51,540	54,857
Other operating expenses		2	21	4	31
General and administrative expenses (excluding depreciation and amortization expense reflected below)		199	248	408	486
Depreciation and amortization expense		14	13	28	26
Operating income (loss)		908	1,253	1,216	2,054
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries		0	0	0	0
Other income (expense), net		12	(5)	34	46
Interest and debt expense, net of capitalized interest		(112)	(124)	(224)	(245)
Income before income tax expense		808	1,124	1,026	1,855
Income tax expense (benefit)		160	249	211	398
Net income		648	875	815	1,457
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests		36	30	62	143
Net income attributable to Valero Energy Corporation stockholders		612	845	753	1,314
Eliminations [Member]
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues		0	0	0	0
Cost of sales:
Cost of materials and other		0	0	0	0
Operating expenses (excluding depreciation and amortization expense reflected below)		0	0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization expense		0	0	0	0
Total cost of sales		0	0	0	0
Other operating expenses		0	0	0	0
General and administrative expenses (excluding depreciation and amortization expense reflected below)		0	0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization expense		0	0	0	0
Operating income (loss)		0	0	0	0
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries		(1,058)	(1,224)	(1,497)	(2,201)
Other income (expense), net		(175)	(178)	(354)	(347)
Interest and debt expense, net of capitalized interest		175	178	354	347
Income before income tax expense		(1,058)	(1,224)	(1,497)	(2,201)
Income tax expense (benefit)		0	0	0	0
Net income		(1,058)	(1,224)	(1,497)	(2,201)
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests		(36)	(30)	(62)	(143)
Net income attributable to Valero Energy Corporation stockholders		(1,022)	(1,194)	(1,435)	(2,058)
Valero Energy Corporation [Member] | Reportable Legal Entities [Member]
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues		0	0	0	0
Cost of sales:
Cost of materials and other		0	0	0	0
Operating expenses (excluding depreciation and amortization expense reflected below)		0	0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization expense		0	0	0	0
Total cost of sales		0	0	0	0
Other operating expenses		0	0	0	0
General and administrative expenses (excluding depreciation and amortization expense reflected below)		0	0	1	1
Depreciation and amortization expense		0	0	0	0
Operating income (loss)		0	0	(1)	(1)
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries		821	1,052	1,085	1,772
Other income (expense), net		30	29	84	98
Interest and debt expense, net of capitalized interest		(231)	(233)	(463)	(451)
Income before income tax expense		620	848	705	1,418
Income tax expense (benefit)		(28)	(27)	(110)	(39)
Net income		648	875	815	1,457
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests		36	30	62	143
Net income attributable to Valero Energy Corporation stockholders		612	845	753	1,314
Valero Energy Partners LP [Member] | Reportable Legal Entities [Member]
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues		0	0	0	0
Cost of sales:
Cost of materials and other		0	0	0	0
Operating expenses (excluding depreciation and amortization expense reflected below)		0	0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization expense		0	0	0	0
Total cost of sales		0	0	0	0
Other operating expenses		0	0	0	0
General and administrative expenses (excluding depreciation and amortization expense reflected below)		0	0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization expense		0	0	0	0
Operating income (loss)		0	0	0	0
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries		105	78	187	156
Other income (expense), net		0	1	0	1
Interest and debt expense, net of capitalized interest		(9)	(14)	(24)	(26)
Income before income tax expense		96	65	163	131
Income tax expense (benefit)		0	1	0	1
Net income		96	64	163	130
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests		0	0	0	0
Net income attributable to Valero Energy Corporation stockholders		96	64	163	130
Other Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member] | Reportable Legal Entities [Member]
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues		28,933	31,015	53,196	57,454
Cost of sales:
Cost of materials and other		26,083	27,860	48,061	51,616
Operating expenses (excluding depreciation and amortization expense reflected below)		1,175	1,110	2,390	2,246
Depreciation and amortization expense		552	510	1,089	995
Total cost of sales		27,810	29,480	51,540	54,857
Other operating expenses		2	21	4	31
General and administrative expenses (excluding depreciation and amortization expense reflected below)		199	248	407	485
Depreciation and amortization expense		14	13	28	26
Operating income (loss)		908	1,253	1,217	2,055
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries		132	94	225	273
Other income (expense), net		157	143	304	294
Interest and debt expense, net of capitalized interest		(47)	(55)	(91)	(115)
Income before income tax expense		1,150	1,435	1,655	2,507
Income tax expense (benefit)		188	275	321	436
Net income		962	1,160	1,334	2,071
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests		36	30	62	143
Net income attributable to Valero Energy Corporation stockholders		$ 926	$ 1,130	$ 1,272	$ 1,928

[1] Includes excise taxes on sales by certain of our international operations of $1,410 million and $1,470 million for the three months ended June 30, 2019 and 2018, respectively, and $2,740 million and $2,934 million for the six months ended June 30, 2019 and 2018, respectively.