CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2023	Dec. 31, 2022
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 76,967	$ 141,258
Restricted cash	3,606	4,929
Accounts receivable, net	36,164	34,548
Inventory	182,120	135,473
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	4,756	5,160
Assets held for sale	0	20,560
Total current assets	352,031	373,428
Fixed assets, net	326,111	201,749
Finance lease right-of-use assets, net	64,499	44,081
Operating lease right-of-use assets, net	96,394	53,557
Intangible assets, net	11,541	11,827
Deferred tax assets	0	2,498
Other assets	4,048	2,245
Total non-current assets	502,593	315,957
TOTAL ASSETS	854,624	689,385
Current liabilities
Accounts payable	75,004	20,997
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities	73,636	81,953
Finance lease-current	2,435	1,363
Operating lease-current	20,296	3,713
Current portion of long-term debt	16,362	13,911
Obligations under inventory financing agreements, net	141,093	117,939
Liabilities held for sale, current	0	3,424
Total current liabilities	328,826	243,300
Long-term debt, net	170,701	170,010
Finance lease-non-current	66,206	45,164
Operating lease-non-current	74,444	49,844
Deferred tax liabilities	2,776	0
Derivative warrant liability	9,907	14,270
Other liabilities	1,377	1,377
Total liabilities	654,237	523,965
EQUITY
Common stock, $0.001 par value per share; 750,000,000 shares authorized; 93,514,346 and 75,668,826 issued and outstanding at December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively.	94	76
Additional paid-in capital	383,632	279,552
Accumulated deficit	(187,379)	(115,893)
Total Vertex Energy, Inc. stockholders' equity	196,347	163,735
Non-controlling interest	4,040	1,685
Total equity	200,387	165,420
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND EQUITY	854,624	689,385
Total prepaid expenses & other current assets	$ 53,174	$ 36,660