[Atheist]

I was reading a news article that repeated a statement I see over and over again "the Persian Gulf is where the U.S. gets most of it's oil". So I decided to do a little research. The statistics I found where based on the year 2000 so they may be a bit outdated. But I found 2 things interesting. First, in 2000, the U.S. was the second largest producer of oil in the world. Secondly, these were the top 4 sources of oil:

1. Canada
2. Saudi Arabia
3. Venezuela
4. Mexico

Am I missing something? I know that even today we get more oil from Canada than anywhere else. So why does everyone always say that the Persian Gulf is our main source of oil? Am I misinterpreting what I'm reading?

[monkeybrain]

It's probably just lazy journalists. The real point is control of supply, and I believe the Gulf has larger reserves of oil.

[analogue SPRINKLES]

I've known the same thing for a while and also wonder why everyone still thinks the middle east is where the US gets all of its oil from.

California also gets a lot of electrical power from B.C. and NY gets power from the generators from the Canadian Power plant in Niagara falls.

[Sub]

Interesting, makes you think.

[kmkkid]

I could be wrong, but I believe the big fuss over the oil in the east is because the US gets it from them at heavily discounted prices compared to Canada and the like.

[macroy]

I thought we get most of the oil from ourselves? I know we import more than we use domestically (and Canada is the largest importer to the US) - but the single biggest source of our oil is the US - no?

[Y3a]

I thought it was squeezed from the hair of greasers and rednecks!

[marden]

Originally Posted by Atheist 

I was reading a news article that repeated a statement I see over and over again "the Persian Gulf is where the U.S. gets most of it's oil". So I decided to do a little research. The statistics I found where based on the year 2000 so they may be a bit outdated. But I found 2 things interesting. First, in 2000, the U.S. was the second largest producer of oil in the world. Secondly, these were the top 4 sources of oil:

1. Canada
2. Saudi Arabia
3. Venezuela
4. Mexico

Am I missing something? I know that even today we get more oil from Canada than anywhere else. So why does everyone always say that the Persian Gulf is our main source of oil? Am I misinterpreting what I'm reading?

A few months ago I ran across the same information and wondered, as you do here, WTF?!?

The 1973 oil crisis began in earnest on October 17, 1973, when the members of Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC, consisting of the Arab members of OPEC plus Egypt and Syria) announced, as a result of the ongoing Yom Kippur War, that they would no longer ship petroleum to nations that had supported Israel in its conflict with Syria and Egypt (i.e., to the United States and its allies in Western Europe).

...during the oil shocks of the 1970s - shortfalls in supply as little as 5% drove the price of oil up near 400%. Demand did not fall until the world was mired in the most severe economic slowdown since the Great Depression.

U.S. strategists aren't worried primarily about America's own oil supplies; for decades, the United States has worked to diversify its sources of oil, with Venezuela, Nigeria, Mexico, and other countries growing in importance. But for Western Europe and Japan, as well as the developing industrial powers of eastern Asia, the Gulf is all-important. Whoever controls it will maintain crucial global leverage for decades to come.

Today, notes the EIA's Butler, two-thirds of Gulf oil goes to Western industrial nations. By 2015, according to a study by the CIA's National Intelligence Council, three-quarters of the Gulf's oil will go to Asia, chiefly to China. China's growing dependence on the Gulf could cause it to develop closer military and political ties with countries such as Iran and Iraq, according to the report produced by Ebel's CSIS task force. "They have different political interests in the Gulf than we do," Ebel says. "Is it to our advantage to have another competitor for oil in the Persian Gulf?"

If we can prevent a US economic crisis, or a global economic meltdown or a war with Russia or China by protecting or controlling the oil from the M.E. it will make the sacrifices made in Iraq worthwhile.

[osiris]

Originally Posted by Y3a 

I thought it was squeezed from the hair of greasers and rednecks!

You forgot goombahs and teenagers.

[analogue SPRINKLES]

Originally Posted by kmkkid 

I could be wrong, but I believe the big fuss over the oil in the east is because the US gets it from them at heavily discounted prices compared to Canada and the like.

Now factor in the warS and figure out if that discount actually brings any savings.

[rambo47]

Number 5 on the list of U.S. suppliers is Nigeria. Just in case anyone is keeping track.

[Jawbone54]

Does this not make anyone else here curious about the potential of ANWR?

[mslooking4you81]

I found this information on the DOE website just this evening. I am working an a research paper for a science class. The top countries we import our oil from. Notice that only two mid-east countries are in the top ten.

CANADA
SAUDI ARABIA
VENEZUELA
MEXICO
NIGERIA
ANGOLA
IRAQ
ALGERIA
ECUADOR
BRAZIL
KUWAIT
AZERBAIJAN
LIBYA
COLOMBIA
UNITED KINGDOM

[- - e r i k - -]

[sek929]

I see 4 Middle East countries in that list.

??

[RAILhead]

Okay, it's time to shut down the MacNN borders. NO MORE NEWBIES!!1! I'm going to start having to think up new smartass comments for all these new dolts.

[turtle777]

mslooking4you81 ?

What kind of drugs are they using when they come up with these nicks ?

-t

[- - e r i k - -]

I'm just sad to think a 26/7 year old would come up with a nick like that.

[LegendaryPinkOx]

Originally Posted by sek929 

I see 4 Middle East countries in that list.

??

In his defense there are 2 in the top 10 of the 15 he posted. as for the nickname, hes on his own

[vmarks]