The first oil well in the U.S. was drilled in 1859. Do you know where?
Titusville, Pennsylvania. While historical records indicate that naturally occurring seeps of petroleum were collected and used for a variety of purposes as early as the 1600s, Colonel Edwin Drake was the first to devise a mechanical system to drill into underground reservoirs and secure sufficient quantities of petroleum to make it commercially marketable.
Source: http://www.eia.doe.gov/neic/infosheets/petroleumproductsconsumption.html
What was the first commercially marketed use of petroleum in the U.S.?
Medicine. Early settlers of northwestern Pennsylvania skimmed petroleum from streams and used it medicinally. Impressed by the apparent benefits of petroleum as a medicine, about 1849, Samuel Kier, a shipper and merchant, began bottling the petroleum he collected from salt wells on his father’s land and marketed it as a cure for all sorts of human and animal ailments.
Source: http://www.pabook.libraries.psu.edu/palitmap/bios/Kier__Samuel_Martin.html
How much crude oil is supplied to U.S. refineries each day?
In 2007, total refinery input of crude oil averaged 15 million barrels per day.
Source: Energy Information Administration, Annual Energy Review2007, Table 5.8, page 139.
How much of the crude oil/petroleum America uses annually comes from foreign sources?
In 2007, approximately 65% of the crude oil/petroleum used in the U.S. was imported.
Source: Energy Information Administration, Annual Energy Review 2007, Table 5.1, page 125.
Please note that the 65% number is for gross imports. If net imports were used as the numerator, the percentage would be 58%.
How much of the crude oil/petroleum America uses annually is produced within the U.S.?
In 2007, approximately 35% of the crude oil/petroleum used in the U.S. was produced domestically.
Source: Energy Information Administration, Annual Energy Review 2007, Table 5.1, page 125.
The following are the top U.S. producers of crude oil. Which state produces the most?
The top crude oil-producing state in the U.S. is Texas, followed in order by Alaska, California, Louisiana, and Oklahoma.
Source: http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/dnav/pet/pet_crd_crpdn_adc_mbbl_a.htm
How many barrels of oil does the world consume every day?
In 2007, the world consumed 85.8 million barrels of oil every day. That is about 42,000 gallons per second!
Source: Energy Information Administration, Short-term Energy Outlook Sept. 2008, Table 3a.
How many refineries are there in the U.S.?
There are currently 149 U.S. refineries owned by 54 companies in 33 states, with total crude oil processing capacity at roughly 17 million barrels per day.
Source: Energy Information Administration, Annual Energy Review 2007, Table 5.9, page 141 and http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/state/state_energy_profiles.cfm?sid=HI
When was the last U.S. oil refinery built?
The last new U.S. refinery was constructed in 1976.
Source: Andrew P. Morriss, Engage, Vol. 8, No. 3, pp. 4-13
How much of the gasoline consumed in the U.S. is produced by U.S. refineries?
U.S. refineries produce 90% of the gasoline Americans consume. The remaining 10% of finished gasoline and gasoline additives is imported.
Source: Energy Information Administration, Short Term Energy Outlook Sept. 2008, Table 4a.
Refineries are owned by large, integrated oil companies as well as independent companies. What percentage of refinery capacity does the largest U.S. refiner control?
The largest U.S. refiner controls just 13% of U.S. refining capacity.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_oil_refineries#United_States, and Energy Information Administration, Annual Energy Review 2007, Table 5.9, page 141.
A barrel of crude oil equals 42 gallons. How many gallons of gasoline result from refining a barrel of crude oil?
On average, about 20 gallons of gasoline can be produced from a barrel of crude oil. Gasoline represents about 47% of the yield from a refined barrel of crude.
Source: http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/energyfacts/sources/non-renewable/oil.html#How%20used
What is the most significant factor affecting the price of gasoline?
The cost of crude oil is the single greatest factor affecting the price of a gallon of gasoline. The Energy Information Administration estimates that, in August 2008, the national average retail price of a gallon of gasoline was $3.78 and the cost of crude oil represented 73% of that price. Taxes constituted another 11%, distribution and marketing 10%, and refining 6%.
Source: http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/oog/info/gdu/gasdiesel.asp
What portion of the average consumer’s transportation budget is spent on gasoline (and motor oil)?
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2004, the average consumer spent 20% of their transportation budget on gasoline and motor oil.
Source: http://www.bls.gov/cex/csxann04.pdf
How much do Federal and state taxes add to the price of a gallon of finished gasoline?
In August 2008, Federal and state taxes made up about 11% of the price of a gallon of gasoline.
Source: http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/oog/info/gdu/gasdiesel.asp
How much do all sources of “renewable energy” (wind, solar, biomass, hydropower, geothermal) contribute to meeting total U.S. energy needs?
The Energy Information Administration estimates that, in 2007, renewable energy supplied 7% of total U.S. energy needs. Fossil fuels and nuclear power provided 93% of the energy used by Americans.
Source: Energy Information Administration, Annual Energy Review 2007, Table 1.3, page 9.
How much has the U.S. refining industry spent over the last 10 years on environmental improvements to their facilities and processes?
The U.S. refining industry has spent $54.5 billion over the last 10 years on making environmental improvements, much of it to make cleaner fuels.
Source: http://www.api.org/ehs/performance/upload/ENVIRON_EXPEND_REPORT.pdf
What is the greatest source of crude oil and petroleum products found in U.S. waters?
The vast majority (63%) of petroleum found floating in oceans, rivers, streams, and lakes comes from oil seeping naturally out of the ocean floor, lake beds, and the land. Spills caused by petroleum users such as improperly discarded motor oil, gasoline spilled during fueling, leaky petroleum storage tanks, and even fuel leaking from pleasure boat engines are responsible for about 33% of petroleum in U.S. waters. Only 4% of oil spills result from the exploration, production and transportation of crude oil and refined petroleum products. Data are for 1990-1999.
Source: http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/energyfacts/sources/non-renewable/oil.html#Environment
What percentage of retail gasoline outlets/service stations are owned and operated directly by the large, integrated oil companies?
Large, integrated oil companies control only 10% of the Nation’s retail gasoline service stations. About 90% of gas stations in the U.S. are owned by non-integrated companies and individuals. Individual service stations may bear the logo of a major petroleum company, but they are typically owned by franchisees – people who purchase the right to market and sell a company’s name-brand products, just like people who invest in a 7-11 or McDonald’s.
Source: http://www.api.org/aboutoilgas/sectors/marketing/index.cfm#q12
How much of the nation’s refining capacity is controlled by the four largest U.S. refining companies?
In 2003, the four largest U.S. refining companies controlled a little more than 40% of refining capacity. In contrast, the top four companies in the auto manufacturing, brewing, tobacco, floor coverings, and breakfast cereals industries controlled between 80% and 90% of their markets.
Source: http://www.eia.doe.gov/neic/rankings/refineries.htm
Of the industry sectors listed below, which has the largest earnings profit margin?
For the 2rd quarter of 2008, the pharmaceutical and medicine industry reported making an estimated 26.3 cents in earnings per dollar of sales. Oil and natural gas industry earnings, at about 6.8 cents per dollar of sales, were the lowest among these industry sectors.
Source: http://www.api.org/statistics/earnings/upload/earnings_perspective.pdf
Most crude oil and petroleum products are transported at some point by pipelines. How many miles of pipelines are there in the U.S.?
There are a whopping 2.3 million miles of pipelines crisscrossing the U.S. If all these pipelines were laid end to end, they would circle the Earth a little more than 92 times!
Source: http://www.phmsa.dot.gov/portal/site/PHMSA
How many barrels of petroleum does a typical modern ocean-going supertanker hold?
“Supertankers” are generally defined as those greater than 250,000 tonnes deadweight (meaning the maximum weight they can carry when fully loaded). Today’s supertankers, on average, can carry about 2 million barrels or 84 million gallons of crude oil and petroleum product. The largest supertanker in the world is the Norwegian-owned Knock Nevis which is 647,955 tonnes deadweight and can hold 4.1 million barrels of petroleum.
Source: http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/cabs/Saudi_Arabia/pdf.pdf
