<SEC-DOCUMENT>0001035002-12-000034.txt : 20121016
<SEC-HEADER>0001035002-12-000034.hdr.sgml : 20121016
<ACCEPTANCE-DATETIME>20120524122410
<PRIVATE-TO-PUBLIC>
ACCESSION NUMBER:		0001035002-12-000034
CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE:	CORRESP
PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT:		1
FILED AS OF DATE:		20120524

FILER:

	COMPANY DATA:	
		COMPANY CONFORMED NAME:			VALERO ENERGY CORP/TX
		CENTRAL INDEX KEY:			0001035002
		STANDARD INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION:	PETROLEUM REFINING [2911]
		IRS NUMBER:				741828067
		STATE OF INCORPORATION:			DE
		FISCAL YEAR END:			1231

	FILING VALUES:
		FORM TYPE:		CORRESP

	BUSINESS ADDRESS:	
		STREET 1:		P.O. BOX 696000
		CITY:			SAN ANTONIO
		STATE:			TX
		ZIP:			78269-6000
		BUSINESS PHONE:		2103452000

	MAIL ADDRESS:	
		STREET 1:		P.O. BOX 696000
		CITY:			SAN ANTONIO
		STATE:			TX
		ZIP:			78269-6000
</SEC-HEADER>
<DOCUMENT>
<TYPE>CORRESP
<SEQUENCE>1
<FILENAME>filename1.htm
<TEXT>
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		<title>Response to SEC Comment Ltr 05-18-12</title>
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	<body style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:10pt;">
<a name="s090CD1D0EEF3A38BB8517F57C9CF6386"></a><div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div></div><br><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:16pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:16pt;font-weight:bold;">VALERO ENERGY CORPORATION</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:right;font-size:11pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:11pt;font-weight:bold;">Michael S. Ciskowski</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:right;font-size:8pt;"><font style="font-family:Arial;font-size:8pt;">Executive Vice President and</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;padding-bottom:13px;text-align:right;font-size:8pt;"><font style="font-family:Arial;font-size:8pt;">Chief Financial Officer</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;padding-bottom:13px;text-align:right;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:justify;font-size:12pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:12pt;">May 24, 2012</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:justify;font-size:12pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:12pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:12pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:12pt;font-weight:bold;">VIA EDGAR TRANSMISSION</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:12pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:12pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:justify;font-size:12pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:12pt;">U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:justify;font-size:12pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:12pt;">100 F Street, N.E.</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:justify;font-size:12pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:12pt;">Washington, D.C. 20549</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:justify;font-size:12pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:12pt;">Attention: Mr. H. Roger Schwall</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:justify;font-size:12pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:12pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:justify;text-indent:48px;font-size:12pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:12pt;font-weight:bold;">Re:</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:12pt;">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:12pt;font-weight:bold;">Valero Energy Corporation</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:justify;padding-left:192px;text-indent:-96px;font-size:12pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:12pt;font-weight:bold;">Form 10-K for the Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2011</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:justify;padding-left:48px;text-indent:48px;font-size:12pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:12pt;font-weight:bold;">Filed February 24, 2012</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:justify;padding-left:48px;text-indent:48px;font-size:12pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:12pt;font-weight:bold;">Commission File No. 1-13175</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:justify;font-size:12pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:12pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;padding-top:8px;text-align:justify;font-size:12pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:12pt;">Dear Mr. Schwall:</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:justify;font-size:12pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:12pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:justify;font-size:12pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:12pt;">On behalf of Valero Energy Corporation (&#8220;Valero&#8221;), set forth below is Valero's response to the comment included in the May 18, 2012 letter from the staff of the Division of Corporation Finance (the &#8220;Staff&#8221;) of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the &#8220;Commission&#8221;) regarding the above referenced Form 10-K (the &#8220;2011 Form 10-K&#8221;).  As used in Valero's response below, the terms &#8220;we,&#8221; &#8220;us,&#8221; or &#8220;our&#8221; also refer to Valero.  For ease of reference, the Staff's comment has been repeated below with our response set forth underneath.</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:justify;font-size:12pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:12pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;padding-top:8px;text-align:left;font-size:12pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:12pt;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:underline;">2011 Form 10-K</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:12pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:12pt;"><br></font></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="font-family:Times New Roman; font-size:10pt;"><tr><td style="width:48px;"></td><td></td></tr><tr><td style="vertical-align:top"><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:12pt;padding-left:24px;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:12pt;">1.</font></div></td><td style="vertical-align:top;"><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:justify;font-size:12pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:12pt;font-weight:bold;">We note that none of your risk factors, or other sections of your Form 10-K, specifically address any risks you may face from cyber attacks, such as attempts by third parties to gain access to your systems to compromise sensitive business information, to interrupt your systems or otherwise try to cause harm to your business and operations.  In future filings, beginning with your next Form 10-Q, please provide risk factor disclosure describing the cybersecurity risks that you face or tell us why you believe such disclosure is unnecessary.  If you have experienced any cyber attacks in the past, please state that fact in any additional risk factor disclosure in order to provide the proper context.  Please refer to the Division of Corporation Finance's Disclosure Guidance Topic No. 2 at http://www.sec.gov/ divisions/corpfin/guidance/cfguidance-topic2.htm for additional information.</font></div></td></tr></table><br><div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">&#160;</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:center;font-size:8pt;"><font style="font-family:Arial;font-size:8pt;">One Valero Way, San Antonio, Texas 78249-1616</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:center;font-size:8pt;"><font style="font-family:Arial;font-size:8pt;">telephone (210) 345-2000 - fax (210) 345-2497</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:8pt;"><font style="font-family:Arial;font-size:8pt;"><br></font></div></div><hr style="page-break-after:always"><a name="s090CD1D0EEF3A38BB8517F57C9CF6386"></a><div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div></div><br><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="font-family:Times New Roman; font-size:10pt;"><tr><td style="width:72px;"></td><td></td></tr><tr><td style="vertical-align:top"><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:12pt;padding-left:48px;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:12pt;">&#8226;</font></div></td><td style="vertical-align:top;"><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:justify;font-size:12pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:12pt;">In response to the Staff's comment, as requested, beginning with Valero's Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2012, we agree to provide risk factor disclosure describing the cybersecurity risks that Valero faces.  Our risk factor disclosure will follow the guidance set forth in the Division of Corporation Finance's Disclosure Guidance Topic No. 2.</font></div></td></tr></table><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:justify;padding-left:72px;font-size:12pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:12pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:justify;font-size:12pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:12pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;padding-bottom:16px;text-align:justify;font-size:12pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:12pt;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:underline;">Acknowledgments</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:12pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:12pt;">Valero acknowledges that:</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;padding-left:60px;font-size:12pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:12pt;"><br></font></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="padding-bottom:8px;font-family:Times New Roman; font-size:10pt;"><tr><td style="width:72px;"></td><td></td></tr><tr><td style="vertical-align:top"><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:12pt;padding-left:48px;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:12pt;">&#8226;</font></div></td><td style="vertical-align:top;"><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:justify;font-size:12pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:12pt;">Valero is responsible for the adequacy and accuracy of the disclosure in the filing;</font></div></td></tr></table><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="padding-bottom:8px;font-family:Times New Roman; font-size:10pt;"><tr><td style="width:72px;"></td><td></td></tr><tr><td style="vertical-align:top"><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:12pt;padding-left:48px;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:12pt;">&#8226;</font></div></td><td style="vertical-align:top;"><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:justify;font-size:12pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:12pt;">Staff comments or changes to disclosure in response to Staff comments do not foreclose the Commission from taking any action with respect to the filing; and</font></div></td></tr></table><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="font-family:Times New Roman; font-size:10pt;"><tr><td style="width:72px;"></td><td></td></tr><tr><td style="vertical-align:top"><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:12pt;padding-left:48px;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:12pt;">&#8226;</font></div></td><td style="vertical-align:top;"><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:justify;font-size:12pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:12pt;">Valero may not assert Staff comments as a defense in any proceeding initiated by the Commission or any person under the federal securities laws of the United States.</font></div></td></tr></table><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:12pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:12pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:justify;font-size:12pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:12pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:center;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:center;font-size:12pt;"><div style="padding-left:0px;text-indent:0px;line-height:normal;padding-top:10px;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:10pt;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;width:82.47863247863248%;border-collapse:collapse;text-align:left;"><tr><td colspan="3"></td></tr><tr><td width="26%"></td><td width="22%"></td><td width="52%"></td></tr><tr><td style="vertical-align:bottom;padding-left:2px;padding-top:2px;padding-bottom:2px;padding-right:2px;"><div style="overflow:hidden;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">&#160;</font></div></td><td style="vertical-align:bottom;padding-left:2px;padding-top:2px;padding-bottom:2px;padding-right:2px;"><div style="overflow:hidden;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">&#160;</font></div></td><td style="vertical-align:bottom;padding-left:2px;padding-top:2px;padding-bottom:2px;padding-right:2px;"><div style="text-align:left;font-size:12pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:12pt;">Very truly yours,</font></div></td></tr><tr><td style="vertical-align:bottom;padding-left:2px;padding-top:2px;padding-bottom:2px;padding-right:2px;"><div style="overflow:hidden;height:20px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">&#160;</font></div></td><td style="vertical-align:bottom;padding-left:2px;padding-top:2px;padding-bottom:2px;padding-right:2px;"><div style="overflow:hidden;height:20px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">&#160;</font></div></td><td style="vertical-align:bottom;padding-left:2px;padding-top:2px;padding-bottom:2px;padding-right:2px;"><div style="overflow:hidden;height:20px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">&#160;</font></div></td></tr><tr><td style="vertical-align:bottom;padding-left:2px;padding-top:2px;padding-bottom:2px;padding-right:2px;"><div style="overflow:hidden;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">&#160;</font></div></td><td style="vertical-align:bottom;padding-left:2px;padding-top:2px;padding-bottom:2px;padding-right:2px;"><div style="overflow:hidden;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">&#160;</font></div></td><td style="vertical-align:bottom;border-bottom:1px solid #000000;padding-left:2px;padding-top:2px;padding-bottom:2px;padding-right:2px;"><div style="text-align:left;font-size:12pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:12pt;">/s/ Michael S. Ciskowski</font></div></td></tr><tr><td style="vertical-align:bottom;padding-left:2px;padding-top:2px;padding-bottom:2px;padding-right:2px;"><div style="overflow:hidden;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">&#160;</font></div></td><td style="vertical-align:bottom;padding-left:2px;padding-top:2px;padding-bottom:2px;padding-right:2px;"><div style="overflow:hidden;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">&#160;</font></div></td><td style="vertical-align:bottom;padding-left:2px;padding-top:2px;padding-bottom:2px;padding-right:2px;"><div style="text-align:justify;font-size:12pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:12pt;">Michael S. Ciskowski</font></div></td></tr><tr><td style="vertical-align:bottom;padding-left:2px;padding-top:2px;padding-bottom:2px;padding-right:2px;"><div style="overflow:hidden;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">&#160;</font></div></td><td style="vertical-align:bottom;padding-left:2px;padding-top:2px;padding-bottom:2px;padding-right:2px;"><div style="overflow:hidden;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">&#160;</font></div></td><td style="vertical-align:bottom;padding-left:2px;padding-top:2px;padding-bottom:2px;padding-right:2px;"><div style="font-size:12pt;font-size:12pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:12pt;">Executive Vice President and </font></div><div style="font-size:12pt;font-size:12pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:12pt;">Chief Financial Officer</font></div></td></tr></table></div></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="font-family:Times New Roman; font-size:10pt;"><tr><td style="width:48px;"></td><td></td></tr><tr><td style="vertical-align:top"><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:12pt;padding-left:0px;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:12pt;">cc:</font></div></td><td style="vertical-align:top;"><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:12pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:12pt;">Clayton E. Killinger, Senior Vice President and Controller</font></div></td></tr></table><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:justify;padding-left:96px;text-indent:-48px;font-size:12pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:12pt;">Jay D. Browning, Senior Vice President - Corporate Law and Secretary</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:justify;padding-left:48px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><br><div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">&#160;</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:center;font-size:8pt;"><font style="font-family:Arial;font-size:8pt;">One Valero Way, San Antonio, Texas 78249-1616</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:center;font-size:8pt;"><font style="font-family:Arial;font-size:8pt;">telephone (210) 345-2000 - fax (210) 345-2497</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:8pt;"><font style="font-family:Arial;font-size:8pt;"><br></font></div></div>	</body>
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