Condensed Consolidating Financial Statements, Statement of Income (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions		3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
		Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues	[1]	$ 27,249	$ 30,849	$ 80,445	$ 88,303
Cost of sales:
Cost of materials and other		24,335	27,701	72,396	79,317
Operating expenses (excluding depreciation and amortization expense reflected below)		1,239	1,193	3,629	3,439
Depreciation and amortization expense		556	504	1,645	1,499
Total cost of sales		26,130	29,398	77,670	84,255
Other operating expenses		10	10	14	41
General and administrative expenses (excluding depreciation and amortization expense reflected below)		217	209	625	695
Depreciation and amortization expense		11	13	39	39
Operating income (loss)		881	1,219	2,097	3,273
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries		0	0	0	0
Other income, net		34	42	68	88
Interest and debt expense, net of capitalized interest		(111)	(111)	(335)	(356)
Income before income tax expense (benefit)		804	1,150	1,830	3,005
Income tax expense (benefit)		165	276	376	674
Net income		639	874	1,454	2,331
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests		30	18	92	161
Net income attributable to Valero Energy Corporation stockholders		609	856	1,362	2,170
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		(952)	(1,143)	(2,323)	(3,027)
Other income, net		(178)	(184)	(532)	(531)
Interest and debt expense, net of capitalized interest		178	184	532	531
Income before income tax expense (benefit)		(952)	(1,143)	(2,323)	(3,027)
Income tax expense (benefit)		0	0	0	0
Net income		(952)	(1,143)	(2,323)	(3,027)
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests		0	17	2	48
Net income attributable to Valero Energy Corporation stockholders		(952)	(1,160)	(2,325)	(3,075)
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)		2	3	3	4
Depreciation and amortization expense		0	0	0	0
Operating income (loss)		(2)	(3)	(3)	(4)
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries		740	1,005	1,763	2,634
Other income, net		54	65	138	163
Interest and debt expense, net of capitalized interest		(230)	(230)	(693)	(681)
Income before income tax expense (benefit)		562	837	1,205	2,112
Income tax expense (benefit)		(47)	(19)	(157)	(58)
Net income		609	856	1,362	2,170
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests		0	0	0	0
Net income attributable to Valero Energy Corporation stockholders		609	856	1,362	2,170
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		112	85	299	241
Other income, net		0	0	0	1
Interest and debt expense, net of capitalized interest		(12)	(15)	(36)	(41)
Income before income tax expense (benefit)		100	70	263	201
Income tax expense (benefit)		0	0	0	1
Net income		100	70	263	200
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests		0	0	0	0
Net income attributable to Valero Energy Corporation stockholders		100	70	263	200
Other Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member] | Reportable Legal Entities [Member]
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues		27,249	30,849	80,445	88,303
Cost of sales:
Cost of materials and other		24,335	27,701	72,396	79,317
Operating expenses (excluding depreciation and amortization expense reflected below)		1,239	1,193	3,629	3,439
Depreciation and amortization expense		556	504	1,645	1,499
Total cost of sales		26,130	29,398	77,670	84,255
Other operating expenses		10	10	14	41
General and administrative expenses (excluding depreciation and amortization expense reflected below)		215	206	622	691
Depreciation and amortization expense		11	13	39	39
Operating income (loss)		883	1,222	2,100	3,277
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries		100	53	261	152
Other income, net		158	161	462	455
Interest and debt expense, net of capitalized interest		(47)	(50)	(138)	(165)
Income before income tax expense (benefit)		1,094	1,386	2,685	3,719
Income tax expense (benefit)		212	295	533	731
Net income		882	1,091	2,152	2,988
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests		30	1	90	113
Net income attributable to Valero Energy Corporation stockholders		$ 852	$ 1,090	$ 2,062	$ 2,875

[1] Includes excise taxes on sales by certain of our international operations of $1,399 million and $1,338 million for the three months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018, respectively, and $4,139 million and $4,272 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018, respectively.