As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 12, 2009

Registration No. 333-      

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

Form S-3

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

 

 

Valero Energy Corporation

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of registrant’s principal executive offices)

 

 

Jay D. Browning, Esq.

Senior Vice President and Corporate Secretary

One Valero Way

San Antonio, Texas 78249

(210) 345-2000

(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

 

 

Copy to:

 

Gerald M. Spedale, Esq.

Baker Botts L.L.P.

One Shell Plaza

910 Louisiana Street

Houston, Texas 77002-4995

(713) 229-1234

Fax: (713) 229-7734

 

 

Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public:  From time to time after the effective date of this Registration Statement.

 

If the only securities being registered on this Form are to be offered pursuant to dividend or interest reinvestment plans, please check the following box.  o

 

If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), other than securities offered only in connection with dividend or interest reinvestment plans, check the following box.  þ

 

If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.  o

 

If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.  o

 

If this Form is a registration statement pursuant to General Instruction I.D. or a post-effective amendment thereto that shall become effective upon filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 462(e) under the Securities Act, check the following box.  þ

 

If this Form is a post-effective amendment to a registration statement filed pursuant to General Instruction I.D. filed to register additional securities or additional classes of securities pursuant to Rule 413(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box.  o

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):

 

 

CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

 

 

Prospectus

 

 

 

Valero Energy Corporation

 

One Valero Way

San Antonio, Texas 78249

(210) 345-2000

 

Senior Debt Securities

 

 

We will provide additional terms of our securities in one or more supplements to this prospectus. You should read this prospectus and the related prospectus supplement carefully before you invest in our securities. No person may use this prospectus to offer and sell our securities unless a prospectus supplement accompanies this prospectus.

 

 

 

 

Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

 

 

 

 

 

The date of this prospectus is March 12, 2009.

Table of Contents

 

 

This prospectus is part of a registration statement that we have filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) using a “shelf” registration process. Using this process, we may offer the securities this prospectus describes in one or more offerings. This prospectus provides you with a general description of the securities we may offer. Each time we use this prospectus to offer securities, we will provide a prospectus supplement and, if applicable, a pricing supplement that will describe the specific terms of the offering. The prospectus supplement and any pricing supplement may also add to, update or change the information contained in this prospectus. Please carefully read this prospectus, the prospectus supplement and any pricing supplement together with the information contained in the documents we refer to under the heading “Where You Can Find More Information.”

 

As used in this prospectus, the terms “Valero,” “we,” “us” and “our” may, depending upon the context, refer to Valero Energy Corporation, to one or more of its consolidated subsidiaries or to all of them taken as a whole.

 

We are a Fortune 500 company based in San Antonio, Texas with approximately 22,000 employees and 2008 revenues of approximately $119 billion. As of December 31, 2008, we owned and operated 16 refineries having a combined throughput capacity of approximately 3 million barrels per day. Our refineries are located in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean. We produce premium, environmentally clean refined products such as RBOB (reformulated gasoline blendstock for oxygenate blending), gasoline meeting the specifications of the California Air Resources Board, or CARB, CARB diesel fuel, low-sulfur and ultra-low-sulfur diesel fuel and oxygenates (liquid hydrocarbon compounds containing oxygen). We also produce a substantial slate of conventional gasolines, distillates, jet fuel, asphalt, petrochemicals, lubricants and other refined products.

 

We are also a leading marketer of refined products. We market branded and unbranded refined products on a wholesale basis in the United States and Canada through an extensive bulk and rack marketing network. We also sell refined products through a network of approximately 5,800 retail and wholesale branded outlets in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean under various brand names including Valero^®, Diamond Shamrock^®, Shamrock^®, Ultramar^® and Beacon^®.

 

Our principal executive offices are located at One Valero Way, San Antonio, Texas, 78249, and our telephone number is (210) 345-2000. Our common stock is listed for trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “VLO.”

 

We file annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. You can read and copy these materials at the SEC’s public reference room at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. You can obtain information about the operation of the SEC’s public reference room by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330. The SEC also maintains an Internet site that contains information we have filed electronically with the SEC, which you can access over the Internet at http://www.sec.gov. You can also obtain information about us at the offices of the New York Stock Exchange, 20 Broad Street, New York, New York 10005.

 

This prospectus is part of a registration statement we have filed with the SEC relating to the securities we may offer. As permitted by SEC rules, this prospectus does not contain all the information we have included in the registration statement and the accompanying exhibits and schedules we have filed with the SEC. You may refer to the registration statement, exhibits and schedules for more information about us and the securities. The registration statement, exhibits and schedules are available at the SEC’s public reference room or through its Internet site.

 

We are incorporating by reference information we file with the SEC, which means that we are disclosing important information to you by referring you to those documents. The information we incorporate by reference is an important part of this prospectus, and later information that we file with the SEC will automatically update and supersede this information. We incorporate by reference the documents listed below and any future filings we make with the SEC under Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 until the termination of this offering. The documents we incorporate by reference are:

 

 

You may request a copy of these filings, other than an exhibit to these filings unless we have specifically incorporated that exhibit by reference into the filing, at no cost, by writing to us or calling us at the following address or telephone number:

 

Valero Energy Corporation
One Valero Way
San Antonio, Texas 78249
Attention: Investor Relations
Telephone: (210) 345-2744

 

You should rely only on the information contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus, the prospectus supplement and any pricing supplement. We have not authorized any person, including any salesman or broker, to provide information other than that provided in this prospectus, the prospectus supplement or any pricing supplement. We have not authorized anyone to provide you with different information. We are not making an offer of the securities in any jurisdiction where the offer is not permitted. You should assume that the information in this prospectus, the prospectus supplement and any pricing supplement is accurate only as of the date on its cover page and that any information we have incorporated by reference is accurate only as of the date of the document incorporated by reference.

 

This prospectus and the accompanying prospectus supplement, including the information we incorporate by reference, contain certain estimates, predictions, projections, assumptions and other “forward-looking statements” (as defined in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) that involve various risks and uncertainties. While these forward-looking statements, and any assumptions upon which they are based, are made in good faith and reflect our current judgment regarding the direction of our business, actual results will almost always vary, sometimes materially, from any estimates, predictions, projections, assumptions, or other future performance suggested in this prospectus. These forward-looking statements can generally be identified by the words “anticipate,” “believe,” “expect,” “plan,” “intend,” “estimate,” “project,” “projection,” “predict,” “budget,” “forecast,” “goal,” “guidance,” “target,” “will,” “could,” “should,” “may” and similar expressions.

 

These forward-looking statements include, among other things, statements regarding:

 

 

We based our forward-looking statements on our current expectations, estimates and projections about our company and our industry. We caution that these statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions that we cannot predict. In addition, we based many of these forward-looking statements on assumptions about future events that may prove to be inaccurate. Accordingly, our actual results may differ materially from the future performance that we have expressed or forecast in the forward-looking statements. Differences between actual results and any future performance suggested in these forward-looking statements could result from a variety of factors, including the following:

 

 

 

Any one of these factors, or a combination of these factors, could materially affect our future results of operations and whether any forward-looking statements ultimately prove to be accurate. Our forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, and actual results and future performance may differ materially from those suggested in any forward-looking statements. We do not intend to update these statements unless we are required by the securities laws to do so.

 

Unless we inform you otherwise in the prospectus supplement, the net proceeds from the sale of the securities will be used for general corporate purposes. These purposes may include but are not limited to:

 

 

Pending any specific application, we may initially invest funds in short-term marketable securities or apply them to the reduction of short-term indebtedness.

 

Our ratios of earnings to fixed charges for each of the periods indicated are as follows:

 

 

We have computed the ratio of earnings to fixed charges by dividing earnings by fixed charges. For these purposes, earnings consist of consolidated income from continuing operations before income taxes and fixed charges (excluding capitalized interest), with certain other adjustments. Fixed charges consist of total interest, whether expensed or capitalized, including amortization of debt expense and premiums or discounts related to outstanding indebtedness and one-third (the proportion deemed representative of the interest factor) of rental expense.

 

The debt securities covered by this prospectus will be our general senior unsecured obligations. We will issue the debt securities under an indenture dated as of June 18, 2004 between us and The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A., as trustee. We have summarized selected provisions of the indenture and the debt securities below. This summary is not complete. For a complete description, we encourage you to read the indenture. We have filed the indenture with the SEC, and we will include any other instrument establishing the terms of any debt securities we offer as exhibits to a filing we will make with the SEC in connection with that offering. Please read “Where You Can Find More Information.”

 

In this summary description of the debt securities, unless we state otherwise or the context clearly indicates otherwise, all references to “we,” “us,” “our” or “Valero” are references to Valero Energy Corporation only.

 

Ranking

 

The debt securities will constitute senior debt and will rank equally with all of our unsecured and unsubordinated debt. The indenture does not limit the amount of debt securities that can be issued under the indenture or the amount of additional indebtedness we or any of our subsidiaries may incur. We may issue debt securities under the indenture from time to time in one or more series, each in an amount we authorize prior to issuance. The trustee will authenticate and deliver debt securities executed and delivered to it by us as set forth in the indenture.

 

We are organized as a holding company that owns subsidiary companies. Our subsidiary companies conduct substantially all of our business. The holding company structure results in two principal risks:

 

 

Terms

 

The prospectus supplement relating to any series of debt securities we are offering will include specific terms relating to that offering. These terms will include some or all of the following:

 

 

 

We may sell the debt securities at a discount, which may be substantial, below their stated principal amount. These debt securities may bear no interest or interest at a rate that at the time of issuance is below market rates. We will describe in the prospectus supplement any material United States federal income tax consequences applicable to those securities.

 

If we sell any of the debt securities for any foreign currency or currency unit or if payments on the debt securities are payable in any foreign currency or currency unit, we will describe in the prospectus supplement the restrictions, elections, tax consequences, specific terms and other information relating to those debt securities and the foreign currency or currency unit.

 

Restrictive Covenants

 

We have agreed to two principal restrictions on our activities for the benefit of holders of the debt securities. Unless waived or amended, the restrictive covenants summarized below will apply to a series of debt securities issued under the indenture as long as any of those debt securities is outstanding, unless the prospectus supplement for the series states otherwise. We have used in this summary description terms that we have defined below under “— Glossary.”

Limitations on Liens

 

We have agreed that when any debt securities are outstanding neither we nor any of our subsidiaries will create or assume any liens upon any of our receivables or other assets or any asset, stock or indebtedness of any of our subsidiaries unless those debt securities are secured equally and ratably with or prior to the debt secured by the lien. This covenant has exceptions that permit:

 

 

Limitations on Sale/Leaseback Transactions

 

We have agreed that neither we nor our subsidiaries will enter into any sale/leaseback transactions with regard to any principal property, providing for the leasing back to us or a subsidiary by a third party for a period of more than three years of any asset which has been or is to be sold or transferred by us or such subsidiary to such third party or to any other person. This covenant has exceptions that permit transactions of this nature under the following circumstances:

 

 

 

 

In addition, we are permitted to enter into sale/leaseback transactions in an aggregate principal amount not exceeding, together with indebtedness secured by liens permitted by the last bullet discussed under the “Limitations on Liens” covenant described above, 10% of our consolidated net tangible assets.

 

Glossary

 

We define the following terms in the indenture. We use them here with the same definitions. Generally accepted accounting principles should be used to determine all items in this section, unless otherwise indicated.

 

“Consolidated net tangible assets” means the total amount of assets shown on a consolidated balance sheet of us and our subsidiaries (excluding goodwill and other intangible assets), less all current liabilities (excluding notes payable, short-term debt and current portion of long-term debt and capital lease obligations).

 

“Funded debt” means generally any indebtedness for money borrowed, created, issued, incurred, assumed or guaranteed which would be classified as long-term debt or capital lease obligations.

 

“Principal Property” means any of our or our subsidiaries’ refineries or refinery-related assets, distribution facilities or other real property which have a net book value exceeding 2.5% of consolidated net tangible assets, but not including any property which in our opinion is not material to our and our subsidiaries’ total business conducted as an entirety or any portion of a particular property that is similarly found not to be material to the use or operation of such property.

 

“Subsidiary” means any entity of which at the time of determination we or one or more of our subsidiaries owns or controls directly or indirectly more than 50% of the shares of voting stock or the outstanding partnership or similar interests and any limited partnership (i) of which we or any one of our subsidiaries are a general partner and (ii) which is consolidated with us for financial reporting purposes.

 

Consolidation, Merger and Sale

 

We have agreed in the indenture that we will consolidate with or merge into any entity or transfer or dispose of all or substantially all of our assets to any entity only if:

 

 

Events of Default

 

Unless we inform you otherwise in the prospectus supplement, the following are events of default under the indenture with respect to a series of debt securities:

 

 

 

If an event of default for any series of debt securities occurs and is continuing, the trustee or the holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of the series affected by the default may declare the principal amount of all the debt securities of that series to be due and payable immediately. After any declaration of acceleration of a series of debt securities, but before a judgment or decree for payment has been obtained, the event of default giving rise to the declaration of acceleration will, without further act, be deemed to have been waived, and such declaration and its consequences will, without further act, be deemed to have been rescinded and annulled if:

 

 

 

 

In most cases, the trustee will be under no obligation to exercise any of its rights or powers under the indenture at the request or direction of any of the holders, unless the holders have offered to the trustee indemnity reasonably satisfactory to the trustee. Subject to this provision for indemnification, the holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of any series may direct the time, method and place of:

 

 

The indenture requires us to furnish to the trustee annually a statement as to our performance of our obligations under the indenture and as to any default in performance.

 

Modification and Waiver

 

We may modify or amend the indenture without the consent of any holders of the debt securities in certain circumstances, including to:

 

 

We may modify or amend the indenture with the consent of the holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of each series affected by the modification or amendment. Without the consent of the holder of each outstanding debt security affected, however, no modification may:

 

 

The holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of each series may waive past defaults by us under the indenture with respect to the debt securities of that series only. Those holders may not, however, waive any default in any payment on any debt security of that series or compliance with a provision that cannot be modified or amended without the consent of each holder affected.

 

Discharge

 

We will be discharged from all obligations relating to any series of debt securities, except for certain surviving obligations to register the transfer or exchange of the debt securities and any right by the holders to receive additional amounts under the indenture if:

 

 

To exercise the right of deposit described above, we must pay all other sums payable under the indenture, and deliver to the trustee an opinion of counsel and an officers’ certificate stating that all conditions precedent to the satisfaction and discharge of the indenture have been complied with.

 

Form, Exchange, Registration and Transfer

 

Unless we inform you otherwise in the prospectus supplement, we will issue the debt securities only in fully registered form, without coupons, in denominations of $1,000 and integral multiples of $1,000.

 

Debt securities will be exchangeable for other debt securities of the same series, the same total principal amount and the same terms in such authorized denominations as may be requested. Holders may present debt securities for registration of transfer at the office of the security registrar or any transfer agent we designate. The security registrar or transfer agent will effect the transfer or exchange when it is satisfied with the documents of title and identity of the person making the request. We will not charge a service charge for any transfer or exchange of the debt securities. We may, however, require payment of any tax or other governmental charge payable for the registration of the transfer or exchange.

 

We will appoint the trustee as security registrar for the debt securities. We are required to maintain an office or agency for transfers and exchanges in each place of payment. We may at any time designate additional offices or agencies for transfers and exchanges of any series of debt securities.

 

We will not be required:

 

 

 

Payment and Paying Agents

 

Unless we inform you otherwise in the prospectus supplement, principal and interest will be payable, and the debt securities will be transferable and exchangeable, at the office or offices of the trustee or any paying agent we designate. At our option, we will pay interest on the debt securities by check mailed to the holder’s registered address or by wire transfer for global debt securities. Unless we inform you otherwise in a prospectus supplement, we will make interest payments to the persons in whose name the debt securities are registered at the close of business on the record date for each interest payment date.

 

In most cases, the trustee and paying agent will repay to us upon written request any funds held by them for payments on the debt securities that remain unclaimed for two years after the date upon which that payment has become due. After payment to us, holders entitled to the money must look to us for payment.

 

Book-Entry and Settlement

 

We may issue the debt securities of a series in the form of one or more global debt securities that would be deposited with a depositary or its nominee identified in the prospectus supplement. The prospectus supplement will describe:

 

 

Notices

 

Notices to holders will be given by mail to the addresses of such holders as they appear in the security register.

 

Governing Law

 

New York law will govern the indenture and the debt securities.

 

The Trustee

 

The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A. is the trustee under the indenture. Its address is 601 Travis Street, 16th Floor, Houston, Texas 77002. As of December 31, 2008, The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company serves as trustee for our senior unsecured notes and bonds aggregating approximately $5.6 billion and receives customary fees for its services.

 

If an event of default occurs and is continuing, the trustee will be required in the exercise of its powers to use the degree of care and skill of a prudent person in the conduct of his own affairs. The trustee may resign at any time or the holders of a majority in principal amount of the debt securities may remove the trustee. If the trustee resigns, is removed or becomes incapable of acting as trustee or if a vacancy occurs in the office of the trustee for any reason, we will appoint a successor trustee in accordance with the provisions of the indenture.

If the trustee becomes one of our creditors, it will be subject to limitations in the indenture on its rights to obtain payment of claims or to realize on certain property received for any claim, as security or otherwise. The trustee may engage in other transactions with us. If, however, it acquires any conflicting interest, it must eliminate that conflict or resign as required under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939.

 

We may sell the securities in and outside the United States through underwriters or dealers, directly to purchasers or through agents.

 

Sale Through Underwriters or Dealers

 

If we use underwriters in the sale of the offered securities, the underwriters will acquire the securities for their own account. The underwriters may resell the securities from time to time in one or more transactions, including negotiated transactions, at a fixed public offering price or at varying prices determined at the time of sale. Underwriters may offer securities to the public either through underwriting syndicates represented by one or more managing underwriters or directly by one or more firms acting as underwriters. Unless we inform you otherwise in the prospectus supplement, the obligations of the underwriters to purchase the securities will be subject to several conditions, and the underwriters will be obligated to purchase all the offered securities if they purchase any of them. The underwriters may change from time to time any initial public offering price and any discounts or concessions allowed or reallowed or paid to dealers.

 

During and after an offering through underwriters, the underwriters may purchase and sell the securities in the open market. These transactions may include overallotment and stabilizing transactions and purchases to cover syndicate short positions created in connection with the offering. The underwriters may also impose a penalty bid, whereby selling concessions allowed to syndicate members or other broker-dealers for the offered securities sold for their account may be reclaimed by the syndicate if such offered securities are repurchased by the syndicate in stabilizing or covering transactions. These activities may stabilize, maintain or otherwise affect the market price of the offered securities, which may be higher than the price that might otherwise prevail in the open market. If commenced, these activities may be discontinued at any time.

 

If we use dealers in the sale of securities, we will sell the securities to them as principals. They may then resell those securities to the public at varying prices determined by the dealers at the time of resale. The dealers participating in any sale of the securities may be deemed to be underwriters within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933 with respect to any sale of those securities. We will include in the prospectus supplement the names of the dealers and the terms of the transaction.

 

Direct Sales and Sales Through Agents

 

We may sell the securities directly. In that event, no underwriters or agents would be involved. We may also sell the securities through agents we designate from time to time. In the prospectus supplement, we will name any agent involved in the offer or sale of the offered securities, and we will describe any commissions payable by us to the agent. Unless we inform you otherwise in the prospectus supplement, any agent will agree to use its reasonable best efforts to solicit purchases for the period of its appointment.

 

We may sell the securities directly to institutional investors or others who may be deemed to be underwriters within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933 with respect to any sale of those securities. We will describe the terms of any such sales in the prospectus supplement.

 

Delayed Delivery Contracts

 

If we so indicate in the prospectus supplement, we may authorize agents, underwriters or dealers to solicit offers from various types of institutions to purchase securities from us at the public offering price under delayed delivery contracts. These contracts would provide for payment and delivery on a specified date in the future. The contracts would be subject only to those conditions the prospectus supplement describes. The prospectus supplement will describe the commission payable for solicitation of those contracts.

General Information

 

We may have agreements with the agents, dealers and underwriters to indemnify them against civil liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act of 1933, or to contribute with respect to payments that the agents, dealers or underwriters may be required to make. Agents, dealers and underwriters may be customers of, engage in transactions with or perform services for us in the ordinary course of their businesses.

 

Mr. Jay D. Browning, Esq., our Senior Vice President and Corporate Secretary, will issue opinions about the legality of the offered securities for us. Mr. Browning is our employee and at December 31, 2008, beneficially owned approximately 58,565 shares of our common stock (including shares held under employee benefit plans) and held options under our employee stock option plans to purchase an additional 16,085 shares of our common stock. None of such shares or options were granted in connection with the offering of the securities. Any underwriters will be advised about issues relating to any offering by their own legal counsel.

 

The consolidated financial statements of Valero Energy Corporation as of December 31, 2008 and 2007, and for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2008, and management’s assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2008, have been incorporated by reference herein in reliance upon the reports of KPMG LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, incorporated by reference herein, and upon the authority of said firm as experts in accounting and auditing.

PART II

 

INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS

 

 

The following table sets forth expenses payable by Valero in connection with the issuance and distribution of the securities being registered. All the amounts shown are estimates.

 

 

 

 

 

Valero Energy Corporation

 

Valero’s Restated Certificate of Incorporation, as amended (the “Restated Certificate of Incorporation”), contains a provision that eliminates the personal liability of a director to Valero and its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director to the extent currently allowed under the Delaware General Corporation Law. If a director were to breach such duty in performing duties as a director, neither Valero nor its stockholders could recover monetary damages from the director, and the only course of action available to Valero’s stockholders would be equitable remedies, such as an action to enjoin or rescind a transaction involving a breach of fiduciary duty. To the extent certain claims against directors are limited to equitable remedies, the provision in Valero’s Restated Certificate of Incorporation may reduce the likelihood of derivative litigation and may discourage stockholders or management from initiating litigation against directors for breach of their fiduciary duties. Additionally, equitable remedies may not be effective in many situations. If a stockholder’s only remedy is to enjoin the completion of the Board of Directors’ action, this remedy would be ineffective if the stockholder does not become aware of a transaction or event until after it has been completed. In such a situation, it is possible that the stockholders and Valero would have no effective remedy against the directors. Under Valero’s Restated Certificate of Incorporation, liability for monetary damages remains for (i) any breach of the duty of loyalty to Valero or its stockholders, (ii) acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law, (iii) payment of an improper dividend or improper repurchase or redemption of Valero’s stock under Section 174 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, or (iv) any transaction from which the director derived an improper personal benefit.

 

Under Article V of the Restated Certificate of Incorporation and Article VIII of Valero’s Amended and Restated By-laws as currently in effect (the “Restated By-laws”) and an indemnification agreement with Valero’s officers and directors (the “Indemnification Agreement”), each person who is or was a director or officer of Valero or a subsidiary of Valero, or who serves or served any other enterprise or organization at the

request of Valero or a subsidiary of Valero (collectively, an “Indemnitee”), shall be indemnified by Valero to the full extent permitted by the Delaware General Corporation Law.

 

Under such law, to the extent that an Indemnitee is successful on the merits in defense of a suit or proceeding brought against the Indemnitee by reason of the fact that he or she is or was a director or officer of Valero, or serves or served any other enterprise or organization at the request of Valero, the Indemnitee shall be indemnified against expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred in connection with such action.

 

Under such law, if unsuccessful in defense of a third-party civil suit or a criminal suit, or if such suit is settled, the Indemnitee shall be indemnified against both (a) expenses, including attorneys’ fees, and (b) judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement if he or she acted in good faith and in a manner he reasonably believed to be in, or not opposed to, the best interests of Valero, and, with respect to any criminal action, had no reasonable cause to believe his conduct was unlawful.

 

If unsuccessful in defense of a suit brought by or in the right of Valero, or if such a suit is settled, the Indemnitee shall be indemnified under such law only against expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred in the defense or settlement of such suit if he or she acted in good faith and in a manner reasonably believed to be in, or not opposed to, the best interests of Valero, except that if the Indemnitee is adjudged to be liable in such a suit for negligence or misconduct in the performance of duties to Valero, the Indemnitee cannot be made whole for expenses unless the court determines that he or she is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for such expenses.

 

The Indemnification Agreement provides directors and officers with specific contractual assurance that indemnification and advancement of expenses will be available to them regardless of any amendments to or revocation of the indemnification provisions of Valero’s Restated By-laws. The Indemnification Agreement provides for indemnification of directors and officers against both stockholder derivative claims and third-party claims. Sections 145(a) and 145(b) of the Delaware General Corporation Law, which grant corporations the power to indemnify directors and officers, specifically authorize lesser indemnification in connection with derivative claims than in connection with third-party claims. The distinction is that Section 145(a), concerning third-party claims, authorizes expenses and judgments and amounts paid in settlement (as is provided in the Indemnification Agreement), while Section 145(b), concerning derivative suits, generally authorizes only indemnification of expenses. However, Section 145(f) expressly provides that the indemnification and advancement of expenses provided by or granted pursuant to the subsections of Section 145 shall not be exclusive of any other rights to which those seeking indemnification or advancement of expenses may be entitled under any agreement. Delaware case law does not directly answer whether Delaware’s public policy would support this aspect of the Indemnification Agreement under the authority of Section 145(f), or would cause its invalidation because it does not conform to the distinctions contained in Sections 145(a) and 145(b).

 

Delaware corporations also are authorized to obtain insurance to protect officers and directors from certain liabilities, including liabilities against which the corporation cannot indemnify its directors and officers. Valero currently has in effect a directors’ and officers’ liability insurance policy.

 

 

 

 

 

(a) The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes:

 

(1) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement:

 

(i) To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act;

 

(ii) To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than a 20% change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective registration statement; and

 

(iii) To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such information in the registration statement;

 

provided, however, that paragraphs (1)(i), (1)(ii) and 1(iii) do not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by the Registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act that are incorporated by reference in the registration statement, or is contained in a form of prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) that is part of the registration statement.

 

(2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered

therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

 

(3) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.

 

(4) That, for the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act to any purchaser:

 

(A) Each prospectus filed by the Registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3) shall be deemed to be part of the registration statement as of the date the filed prospectus was deemed part of and included in the registration statement; and

 

(B) Each prospectus required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2), (b)(5), or (b)(7) as part of a registration statement in reliance on Rule 430B relating to an offering made pursuant to Rule 415(a)(1)(i), (vii) or (x) for the purpose of providing the information required by Section 10(a) of the Securities Act shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the earlier of the date such form of prospectus is first used after effectiveness or the date of the first contract of sale of securities in the offering described in the prospectus. As provided in Rule 430B, for liability purposes of the issuer and any person that is at that date an underwriter, such date shall be deemed to be a new effective date of the registration statement relating to the securities in the registration statement to which that prospectus relates, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof. Provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such effective date, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such effective date.

 

(5) That, for the purpose of determining liability of the Registrant under the Securities Act to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities:

 

The undersigned Registrant undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of the undersigned Registrant pursuant to the registration statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned Registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to such purchaser:

 

(i) Any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned Registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424;

 

(ii) Any free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned Registrant or used or referred to by the undersigned Registrant;

 

(iii) The portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned Registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned Registrant; and

 

(iv) Any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned Registrant to the purchaser.

 

(b) The undersigned Registrant hereby further undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each filing of the Registrant’s annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan’s annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act) that is incorporated by reference in the registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

(c) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, Valero Energy Corporation certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-3 and has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of San Antonio, the State of Texas, on March 12, 2009.

 

VALERO ENERGY CORPORATION

 

William R. Klesse

Chief Executive Officer, President and

Chairman of the Board

 

POWER OF ATTORNEY

 

Each person whose signature appears below Michael S. Ciskowski and Jay D. Browning, and each of them, severally, as his or her true and lawful attorney or attorneys-in-fact and agent or agents, each of whom shall be authorized to act with or without the other, with full power of substitution and resubstitution, for him or her and in his or her name, place and stead in his or her capacity as a director or officer or both, as the case may be, of Valero Energy Corporation, to sign any and all amendments (including post-effective amendments) to this Registration Statement, and all documents or instruments necessary or appropriate to enable Valero Energy Corporation to comply with the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and to file the same with the Securities and Exchange Commission, with full power and authority to each of said attorneys-in-fact and agents to do and perform in the name and on behalf of each such director or officer, or both, as the case may be, each and every act whatsoever that is necessary, appropriate or advisable in connection with any or all of the above-described matters and to all intents and purposes as he or she might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents or any of them or their substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities indicated on March 12, 2009.

 

INDEX TO EXHIBITS*