Understanding U.S. Oil Imports
Those interested in “following the money” when it comes to energy and the environment will be interested in this animated global map, which visualizes 20 years of US oil import data (in 20 seconds), collected import data from the US Energy Information Administration (1996-2015). And here’s an accompanying report on the subject.
Notice anything interesting about Russia?
Hi Craig,
What a odd series of charts. I notice that the tiny nation of the Cook Islands is listed as an oil exporter to the US !
Now that’s pretty amazing, since the Cook Islands has no oil and imports all it’s oil from New Zealand !
Nor does the chart record the volume of US oil imports from the Middle East, that are processed and re-exported as value added products to markets outside the US .
I can answer the first part as i helped with the creation of the charts (thanks for sharing craig).
The maps/charts show total imports of crude oil and petroleum products, with data taken directly from the eia. Here is the direct link to the eia page for the Cook Islands https://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/hist/LeafHandler.ashx?n=PET&s=MTTIM_NUS-NCW_1&f=M.
With regards to the second point, i’m not sure that would have been relevant to this study/data. But it’s certainly interesting to note.
Hi David,
Thank you for sharing your methodology.
Although I realize how insignificant a couple of thousand barrels maybe to the overall result of your study, it raises an interesting issue.
The inclusion of such obviously inaccurate information, simply because the error comes from a reputable source, must create a slight distortion. the next “study’ or report that relies on your information with further cement the distortion as accepted fact. The next study again may increase the distortion, and so on.
By the time ten generations of “studies’ and computer modeling reports are compiled the origins of the error have long since been forgotten and the distortion may have grown into substantial distortion.
Anyone querying the veracity of a future computer model will be overwhelmed by the task of unraveling all the previous “scientific” material and it becomes impossible to determine where such an error was created.
That’s the problem with “consensus” scientific opinion in the modern era. Due to the sheer volume of data, historical analysis become extremely difficult, and very unpopular when the issue may have become politicized. Skeptic’s are berated and ostracized by those who consider them heretic’s.
As I say, the error in regards to your study is insignificant, but does serve as an excellent example of the dangers of elevating this sort of study or graph to level of veracity that well-meaning advocates like Craig, rely upon.
Regrettably, advocates and scientists alike, often become deeply offended when the basis of their beliefs are challenged. This is the danger of using scientific “studies’ to bolster ideological doctrines.
Ego’s, reputations etc, get involved (especially when grant money is at stake:) but even those with impeccable integrity can fall victim to these errors.
One again, thanks for sharing.
World oil production is in a very odd place in its overall history. 10 years ago with rising oil prices there was lots of talk about “peak oil” which helped “fuel” the shift to alternative transportation. The oil industry seemed to pull out of its black bag lots of new techniques (like fracking that had been around for decades) which increased production.
Increasingly the price of oil and its effect upon the economy was noticed. The recession of 2008 has caused a decline in the overall demand for oil at a time when domestic production was increasing.
So the charts show us interesting information but like most statistics, we have to be somewhat careful about jumping to conclusions. There are few major players on the world oil market, collusion is then possible / likely in production levels and pricing. At one time, this was also an often discussed motivating factor to move from oil to alternative transportation. An entirely cynical view might suggest that the current relatively low oil prices is partly in response to the increased awareness of of electric vehicles. At the very least is does favor ICE vehicles while it suppresses electric vehicle adoption.