The United States has a Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) that holds 564 million barrels, about a 55-day supply of imported oil. That is a significant amount, although less than the 90-day supply of imported oil the SPR originally was intended to hold.
api.org
From the following link, EXCLUDING the SPR, US crude oil stocks were some 330 million barrels in February.
oil-gasoline.com
Hardly a mere 7 days worth of "just in time" production as your comments seem to imply.
U.S. petroleum imports (crude & products) in February were 10,627,000 barrels per day (b/d); imports in the same month last year were 9,577,000 (b/d). (API).
Total petroleum products delivered to the domestic market in February 19,104,000 b/d; same month last year 18,322,000 b/d. (API).
So before anyone thinks we're about to run our oil stocks dry due to Y2K, it helps to know how much is sitting in day storage. 330 million barrels equate to roughly 18 days of crude oil available minus the SPR containing 55 days worth.
The issue will be how many of the approx 150 US refineries will be shut down or forced to operate at a reduced capacity.
I cannot fathom the prospect that all refineries will be non-functional on Jan 1st, 2000 given the statements that have been made to date by the American Petroleum Institute. These public statements will come back to haunt them terribly in post-2000 litigation should they have deliberately misled the public and gov't officials.
Flatsville, there is basically nothing that any of us can do except to be as prepared as possible as possible for the winter.
Should there be a energy shortage, well... some of us have seen long fuel lines and high prices before and are still around to talk about it.
I'm not in denial, Flatsville. I'm merely fatalistic about Y2K and unwilling to worry myself to death pondering the infinite possibilitis about all the things that can go wrong.
Regards,
Ron |
