What’s New
What’s the difference between heavy and light crude oils? And why do American refineries need both?
There are hundreds of varieties of crude oil around the world. Different types of oil require different refining processes to make the fuels we need in the quantities we need. Many American refineries need heavier crudes than what is largely produced in the United States.
How much oil does the United States import (and why)?
About 60% of the crude oil that runs through U.S. refineries is extracted right here at home. However, our refineries run on many different types of crude oil, some of which we don’t produce here or can’t economically transport. In those cases, we use imports.
Issues and Policies
18.6 million
U.S. refining increased to more than 18.6 million barrels per day, almost 20% of global capacity.
$185 billion
Petrochemical manufacturers have invested $185 billion to expand operations to meet growing demand.