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)
Report on Keystone XL Being Used for Exports Misleading, Refinery Says (by John S. Adams, Great Falls Tribune)
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