FACTBOX-Valero oil refineries on the block

(Reuters) - Top U.S. refiner Valero Energy Corp (VLO.N) is ready to sell three North American oil refineries and is considering interest in two others as the U.S economic slowdown hurts fuel demand.

If Valero sells all five refineries, it will cut by about a third its refining capacity of about 3 million barrels per day.

The Aruba, Memphis, and Krotz Springs refineries are likely to be sold by the end of this year, Valero Chief Executive and Chairman Bill Klesse said on Tuesday.

The Paulsboro and Ardmore plants are not officially for sale, although Klesse said the company is talking with potential buyers regarding their sale.

Following is a list of facts about Valero refineries that could be sold:

* The 195,000-bpd refinery in Memphis, Tennessee primarily processes sweet, light crude which travels to the refinery from the Gulf via the Capline Pipeline. Valero acquired Memphis along with three other refineries when it bought Premcor Inc. in 2005.

* Aruba, a 275,000-barrels-per-day refinery, processes mainly low-cost heavy, sour crudes to make large volumes of distillate products like heating oil and diesel fuel. It also produces intermediate feedstocks that are processed at other Valero refineries.

In 2004, Valero acquired the refinery from El Paso.

* The Krotz Springs, Louisiana refinery, with a crude distillation capacity of 83,000 bpd, is halfway between Baton Rouge and Lafayette, Louisiana on the Colonial Pipeline, the main conduit of oil products from the Gulf to the New York Harbor. Valero bought Basis Petroleum from Salomon Inc in 1997.

* The Paulsboro, New Jersey refinery can process 195,000-bpd of crude oil, including sour crudes such as Arab Light, Arab Heavy, Oriente and Kirkuk via deepwater access to the Delaware River. Valero purchased it from Mobil in 1998.

* The 90,000 bpd Ardmore, Oklahoma refinery processes medium, sour crude oil from both domestic and foreign sources, and is located on 90 miles south of Oklahoma City. The refinery can store more than 2.4 million barrels of gasoline, diesel and asphalt. Valero acquired it in 2001 as part of the Ultramar Diamond Shamrock purchase.

(Reporting by Bernie Woodall; Editing by David Gregorio)