Interesting facts about oil

[richfaa]

Got this stuff via Google in about 1/2 hour on the internet.

Did you know
The USA is largest consumer and importer of oil on the planet. No other nation comes close.

There are 79 oil producing nations on the planet..only 13 of them are OPEC.

Oil imports from Canada EXCEED the total oil imports from the entire Persian gulf..including OPEC nations (say what)

Saudi Arabia has the planets largest oil reserves..second is CANADA(it's them again)

We import 63.5 % of our oil 17% of that comes from the entire Middle East Who imports more (you guessed it Canada)

Taxes..26 % of the gas cost in the USA is taxes.

In Germany 49%
In France 53%
In UK 55%
Could that have something to do as to why gas cost more in Europe???

6 of the OPEC nations are actually in the middle East. The rest are in South America, Africa and Asia.


If we import 63.5% of our oil that means we can only produce 36.5 % of out energy needs and if Canada...andthey are just North of us in "North America" has the second largest oil reserves on the planet..why are they not exploiting it and why are we not helping them?????

If the USA knows we only produce 36.5 % of our energy need why are we not doing something about that.Like look for more oil, look to alternative resources, etc.
The information we get from the media and our Government just does not seem to jive with reality..why is that??

I had to stop looking as my heart rate was increasing.Something is wrong with all these pictures???

[daneboy]

Rich,
Good report. Our government is spineless. They come up with huge welfare for the farmers (up to $750,000 each) to raise corn for ethenol. The Feds pay oil aprox. 50 cents from a gallon to blend it with gasoline. It takes a unit of energy to make a unit of ethenol and then you get less MPG from it. Then we get to pay more for our food too. Some even say, filling your tank with corn is starving poor people around the world.

Eighty five percent of our cost line is off limits for drilling. Alaska's north slope is off limits. Natural gas could be used to run our vehicles. However the nat-gas is being consumed to generate electrical power. Our tree huggers have stopped any clean nuclear power plants from being built. It's been over 30 years since we have built any new refineries. It's no wonder the congresses approval raiting is 11%.
Jerry

[MacDR50]

Rich: Google oil sands and you will see that exploitation is alive and well up here. BTW my province exports oil and refined products to the USA. The largest operators here are Exxon-Mobil, Chevron and our own Petro-Canada and Husky Oil. I pay more than you do for gas due to higher taxes but am subject to world crude oil prices just the same as everyone else.

[Glenn and Lorraine]

Interesting, VERY interesting.

[richfaa]

We know that about the oil sands up in Canada.. My thought was..why did our president ask Saudi Arabia to increase their oil production when we import more oil from Canada...Why did he not ask Canada to increase their production and even help them do it.. How about Mexico,,they have a bunch of oil and both places are nearby..not to mention we have a lot of oil that our Government does not allow us to touch..what is going on here. We are conditioned by the media and our Government to blame OPEC and the middle East yet only 6 of the 13 OPEC nations are IN the middle East.We import more oil from Non OPEC nations..example Canada.. It is also predicted that within the next decade Canada will be the largest oil producing nation in the WORLD and that includes any middle eastern nation.. Why do we not hear about those things and why can we not do enough for Saudi Arabia but virtually ignore Canada who has greater potential and is right here????? and Why do we have to Import oil from anybody..we have the potential to produce enough for our needs....searching for the real truth and the facts is interesting..but make you wonder about many things..

[blarkman]

I think this topic is getting into politics?? If we don't drill, build, explore and limit everything then we are were we are and have to live with it. They have been trying to get permission to build a new refinery out of Yuma ffor the last five years and just this spring decided to move location because of conflicts.
bob

[skypilot]

This weekend's Topeka paper had an article where a major refinery was looking to build here in Kansas -- they were watching as our governor veto'd 3 separate bills attempting to allow 2-coal fired electric generating plants to be built. The political climate regarding the environment has swung so far in this state that they have opted to move to North Dakota I believe it stated. In any case, we lost out of a large refinery, and now the process begins again but in another state. Who knows if it will ever actually be built -- rhetorical question at this point -- but the bottom line is we need more refineries to be built; we need to upgrade / repair those that currently exist, and then we need to have them running at more than 80 to 85 percent capacity until prices stabilize. Off my soapbox.....

[richfaa]

perhaps I should not have started the topic..Did not intend to get political. I am a curious person and when something does not sound right or make sense to me I go on a quest for the truth and facts.With the technology of the internet just about all of the information of mankind is at your finger tips.What got me going was that the cost of energy is ruining our economy and no one in our system seems to be concerned or is doing anything to solve the problem..I just asked ...why...

[daneboy]

Rich,
I don't think you are getting political with this information. No political party has been mentioned. It's just about, what is or isn't good for our country. Fuel or lack of it is very important to us Montana movers.
Jerry

[richfaa]

I am not a political person. As a matter of fact I care not what party is in power or who is president as long as they are qualified, motivated and have the best interest of "we the people" at the foremost ..(Oh boy).. I am tired of listening to the media and other sourcse conditioning me as to what is right and what is wrong....I can find out for myself...Heck..I gradatated high school and everything. I encourage evryone to "find out" when something does not sound right...Consult your search engine.We are conditioned to associate "the Middle east" with OPEC//There are 10 nations in the middle East..6 of them are OPEC.4 are not...7 of the 13 OPEC nations are nowhere near the middle East. How many knew that??? I did not..What are the real issues in the energy problem.Why do we need to import 63% of our energy needs..The search will be educational and enlightening.

[tom41]

Rich, Your info is very interesting and I didnt know most of what you found out. A person does not have to mention either polictal party to know that neither one has our "interest" in mind, only their well being and power. Our politcal "machine" knew all this was coming since the 70's, but did nothing! Just as they are now. So thanks for posting the information.
Tom

[Dustytuu]

This is not political. Is a concern of all of us.
No refineries have been built for about 10 years. I don't know if any will ever be built. Too many regulations and environmentalist to deal with. Wonder what their vehicles run on?

[Jim Jarvis]

No refineries have been built because oil companies do not want to build them. At about the last time one was built the companies had closed refineries and started buying from each other to supply local areas. In other words, where there once was capacity for each oil company to supply its needs across the country the companies started closing refineries and supplying each other. Where Exxon had enough capacity to supply itself and others Shell, for example, would close a refinery and buy fuel from Exxon. In another area of the country Exxon would close a refinery and buy from Shell. The oil companies were able to reduce costs this way. Now instead of each company having enough refining capacity wherever they do business, they all share. Good for them, doesn't look so good for us. Now whenever there is a blip, a refinery is down for a while, prices are jacked up using that rationale.

[stimpy123]

FYI,
Northeastern Utah has a large reserve of "oil shale". In the late 1970's the production model was developed and the statement was made at that time, that when the price of a barrel of oil goes above $40 then it would be economically feasible to produce in a large scale.
what happened? The companies are still researching the production model.
I'm not an economist, but have been a long haul truck driver (years ago) and have seen this coming for over 40 years. EVERYTHING we touch, eat, wear or use comes to us in some form via a diesel powered vehicle, whether a tractor that plants and cultivates the crop, or the barge that carries the ore or the truck or train that carries the finished product.
We have been fulltimers for two years, and yes the diesel price has doubled in the time that we have been on the road.
I don't know how much longer the truckers will be able to "pass along" the fuel prices before the all go broke. I've spoken with several truckers that have parked their rigs due to the price of fuel, with no increase in the amount the truck earns, therefore the profit has gone to zero. Can't pay the payments and insurance and put food on the table for a family without profit.
My biggest question is: why are the U.S. oil companies allowed to make $ billions in Profit? Something is definitely wrong with this picture.

[ken]

Nice report Rich and it wasn't political. I learned a lot from it. There used to be a quite a few refineries around Wichita Kansas. We had to watch out for tanker trucks that would try to beat us (Rock island RR with 100 wheat filled boxcars coming into Wichita on a sloping grade at 80 mph) across the crossing. We clipped a couple with the diesel engine. I worked as a fireman on the Rock island when going to school at Kansas State back in the late 50's. I'm not sure if they are still there.

[trukdoc]

Getting away from politics and point to corporate greed. In EVERY news clip regarding energy it states that "Crude oil TRADED at $$$$$$ a barrel" Somehow we have allowed all energy to be bundled together and traded on Wall Street in one lump regardless where it is bought and price and traded for the sake of investors. Since Wall Street holds prices high on nothing more than CONSUMER CONFIDENCE it is time to break that confidence. Then and only then will oil TRADE at a lower price. I realize there is more at stake here like the Fed Reserve holding down interest which is driveing up inflation for the sake of easing the burden to the homeowners blindly duped into an adjustable mortage. And the list goes on. All I am saying to blame one entity is narrow minded and wrong when the real culprits are going unchecked.

[richfaa]

Actually Oil is traded in exchanges all over the world. Most every country has a "stock market" where securities of all kinds are traded. Wall Street just happens to be where our "Finanical markets " are. Oil is a commodity defined as .."A commodity is anything for which there is supply, but which is demanded without qualitative differentiation across a foreign market." A commodity is not a Stock or security but a
Thing..Corn, cattle, gold, sliver,Natural gas..wheat, produce. http://money.cnn.com/data/commodities/ We need to understand that we are not the only country in the world that uses energy..the biggest comsumer..yes...We no longer control what goes on in the global economy.We are just another country competing for energy and not doing very well..We continue to consume energy at a rate far beyond our present ability or willingness to produce it...yet blame most everyone else for the problem.

[Allen in MT]

The USA lends money to alot of countries a number of them are oil producing, Mexico for example owed the US 100's of millions of dollars and we forgave the debt. why didn't we take some of their oil as payment, we are forgiving a huge debt in Iraq, why not take it in oil???? oh ya the environmentalists don't want anymore refineries, no more drilling, no more mining, no more hunting, no more off road vehicles
Yes I think we should conserve or find alternative sources, and when we do the oil companies wont be selling as much fuel so the price will again double to make up for the shortfall of revenue.
diesel in Mexico is $2.00, Africa .50
In the shade tree gazette a UK reader wrote

Hello, I have just read your article about the price of gas where you live; so to brighten your day we here in the UK are paying $10.00 for a gallon of gas and $11.00 for diesel. How about you and me changing places?
I think we might be headed there to.
guess I will get off my soap box now

[thor]

i am canadian and right we do export alot of oil to usa we also import a lot of oil from other countries what,s up with that.did you know the governer of texas says texas has enough coal to convert to gas and diesel to last 100 years but your goverment use it . what,s up with that .your goverment and my goverment are make to much money in taxes to do anything about.it is a shame.pople on fixed incomes or low incomes to have to decide between gas or food.