Peak Oil is You
Donate Bitcoins ;-) or Paypal :-)
Page added on March 30, 2012
The Composition of US Oil Production
The above graphs shows US liquid fuel production, 1980-2011, broken out into its major components:
- Crude plus condensate (actual oil coming out of the ground)
- Natural Gas Processing Liquids (ethane, propane, butane, etc extracted from natural gas production).
- Other liquids (mainly biofuels – almost all corn ethanol)
- Volume changes from cracking heavy oil in US refineries – including both domestic and imported heavy oil.
You can see that at this point a large fraction of the liquid fuel numbers are not actually crude coming out of the ground.
This next picture shows the same data but putting the non C&C components onto the other axis so that they are not stacked on top of the C&C line:
This makes it clear that most of the production resurgence of recent years has come from the non-crude components. Biofuels have made the largest contribution, but NGLs and refinery gains have contributed also.
6 Comments on "The Composition of US Oil Production"
SOS on Fri, 30th Mar 2012 4:50 pm
The author, regardless of the facts, fails to mention how the federal government is discouraging the orderly development and use of liquid fuels coming from the ground. This is having a huge impact on what you are paying for energy. The global warming deal is the way they get you to swallow the pill of peak oil and accept much higher energy costs than need be.
SOS on Fri, 30th Mar 2012 4:54 pm
The only reason there is a bleep in the bio-fuels production is because you are paying dearly for it through higher fuel costs and direct subsidies to the industry. Dont be a flat earther on this issue like our president. New technology has changed the game. Things have changed. We are on the verge of abundent cheap energy if the federal government allows orderly development of known reservers. This administration is doing just the opposite.
Dismayed on Sat, 31st Mar 2012 2:32 am
You do realize that US oil reserves amount to 2% of world totals, don’t you? Drill as much as you like – it will not lower prices. Demand is growing and OPEC sets the price.
pete on Sat, 31st Mar 2012 3:21 am
sos will then tell us how this big turn around will come about, I am amused. But if I hear wind of frac the crap out of everything, open the last few unspoiled areas in north america or be dam with regulation for offshore wells and more tax breaks for the .01%. Then I might be inclined to shout OIL LOBBYIST!.
BillT on Sat, 31st Mar 2012 4:03 am
SOS, there is no real ‘bonanza’ just waiting to be tapped. Total recoverable liquids is the Us will not even power the Us for more than a few years at best and maybe not even a year. And who says that it will even stay in the Us? ALL oil goes to the highest bidder…and it may not be here. You are obviously in bed with Big Petro, and you will get screwed before the date is over. Either that or you are in deep denial that your car days are coming to a close. the days of cheap energy and growth are over.
Kenz300 on Sun, 1st Apr 2012 6:51 pm
Big oil loves oil price spikes. They make huge windfall profits. Without alternatives we are backed into a corner. Bring on the electric, flex fuel, hybrid, CNG, LNG and hydrogen fueled vehicles. We need a choice at the pump. It is time to end the oil monopoly on transportation fuels. Monopolies are only good for the monopoly and not good for the consumer.