US Oil Dependency

Via Instapundit, EU Rota lambasts this NYT article claiming the US is “more dependent than ever” on Saudi Arabia.

Read EU Rota’s dissection of this claim, and his proof that US dependence has decreased.

He also links the US government’s statistics on Canada’s exports to the US. It turns out that the US depends MORE on Canada than Saudi Arabia for its oil:

During the first eleven months of 2004, Canada exported 1.62 million bbl/d of crude oil to the U.S., the single-largest component of U.S. crude oil imports. Canada also sent some 500,000 bbl/d of petroleum products to the U.S. during this period, the most from a single country. The largest share of U.S.-bound Canadian oil exports (65%) go to the Midwest (PAD District II), with smaller amounts heading to the Rocky Mountains (PAD District IV) and the East Coast (PAD District I).

Compare this with their imports from Saudi Arabia:

During the first five months of 2005, Saudi Arabia exported 1.57 million bbl/d of oil (of which 1.51 million bbl/d was crude) to the United States. For this time period, Saudi Arabia ranked fourth (after Canada, Mexico, and Venezuela) as a source of total (crude plus refined products) U.S. oil imports, and third for crude only. Saudi Arabia is eager to maintain and even expand its market share in the United States for a variety of economic and strategic reasons. During the first five months of 2005, Saudi Arabia’s share of U.S. crude oil imports was 14.9 percent, up from 13.9 percent during the first five months of 2004.

EU Rota notes the NYT can’t understand this reality because of its leftist agenda.

Beyond that, they do a disservice to US energy security interests by ignoring the benefits of Canadian exports to that country.

However, from a purely selfish Alberta point of view, there’s benefit in scaring Americans into decreasing their dependence on Saudi oil, which makes Alberta oilsands investment all the more attractive.

Crossposted to Civitatensis.