U.S. Oil Exports Reach Record Highs; That’s Right…Exports

Monday, September 05, 2011
Funny how politician after politician keeps talking about the necessity to drill for more oil in the U.S., be it in Alaska or in the Gulf of Mexico or on public lands—considering that America has been breaking records this year for exports of petroleum.
 
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, American exports of crude oil and refined petroleum products are higher than they’ve ever been. In April of this year, oil companies sold nearly three million barrels overseas—which was double the amount sold four years earlier (April 2007).
 
Since April 2011, exports have tapered off somewhat, to about 2.6 million barrels a month. But even at this rate, petroleum sales to other countries are higher than at any time recorded from the beginning of 1989 to the end of 2010.
 
Meanwhile, U.S. and Canadian oil firms are lobbying the Obama administration to approve the construction of the controversial 1,661-mile transcontinental Keystone XL pipeline that would carry tar sands oil from Canada to Texas refineries. This development would mean more export profits for oil companies, as some of the oil sands would be refined for overseas use.
-Noel Brinkerhoff
 
Annual U.S. Exports of Crude Oil and Petroleum Products (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
Monthly U.S. Exports of Crude Oil and Petroleum Products (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
U.S. Awash in Oil and Lies, Report Charges (by Stephen Leahy, Inter Press Service)
Exporting Energy Security (Oil Change International)

Comments

Jeffrey J. Brown 12 years ago
the us became a net oil importer in 1948, and we are currently the largest net oil importer in the world. for every three barrels of oil that we refine, we only produce one, and we have to import the other two. however, we have been forced to reduce oil oil consumption, as we are gradually being priced out of the global net export market. for more info, do a google search for: peak oil versus peak exports.
anonymouse 12 years ago
the us imports 300 million barrels of crude oil each and every month (top suppliers, in order of magnitude, are: canada, saudi arabia, mexico, venezuela and nigeria), and according to this article it exports 3 million barrels (comprising both crude and specialty refined products --- oops). ignoring the apples and oranges statistical snafu, this is still less than 1 percent of the total traffic. if the congress banned all oil exports tomorrow, it would not make a dime's worth of difference in the overall energy dependence of the us. the author of this little blurb is being disingenuous, at best.

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