Fact #610: February 15, 2010 All Sectors' Petroleum Gap

Before 1989 the U.S. produced enough petroleum to meet the needs of the transportation sector, but was still short of meeting the petroleum needs of all the sectors, including industrial, residential and commercial, and electric utilities. In 1973 the gap between what the U.S. produced and what was consumed was 5.6 million barrels per day. By 2035, the gap is expected to be at least 10.8 million barrels per day if all sources of petroleum are included or 13.9 million barrels per day if only conventional petroleum sources are used.

U.S. Petroleum Production and Consumption, 1973-2035
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Note: The U.S. Production has two lines after 2005. The solid line is conventional sources of petroleum. The dashed line adds in other inputs — ethanol, liquids from coal, and liquids from biomass. The sharp increase in values between 2008 and 2009 are caused by the data change from historical to projected values.

Supporting Information

Historical and Future U.S. Petroleum Production and Transportation Petroleum Use (Million barrels per day)
YearTransportationIndustrialResidential and CommercialElectric UtilitiesTotalU.S. Petroleum Production with Other Inputs 2007-on (dotted line)U.S. Petroleum Production without Other Inputs 2007-on
19738.784.482.231.5417.0411.4011.40
19748.434.302.041.4816.2410.9410.94
19758.554.041.951.3915.9210.4710.47
19769.064.462.131.5217.1710.2410.24
19779.364.822.141.7118.0310.3910.39
19789.804.872.071.7518.4910.7710.77
19799.605.341.731.4418.1110.6610.66
19809.264.861.521.1516.8010.8010.80
19819.164.271.330.9615.7310.6910.69
19828.904.061.240.6914.8910.7310.73
19838.953.851.290.6814.7810.7310.73
19849.304.201.380.5615.4511.0911.09
19859.424.071.340.4815.3111.1411.14
19869.934.091.370.6416.0210.8510.85
198710.174.211.400.5516.3310.5810.58
198810.434.361.410.6916.8910.4510.45
198910.594.251.390.7516.979.829.82
199010.574.301.230.5716.679.609.60
199110.384.221.210.5316.339.799.79
199210.674.531.200.4416.849.679.67
199310.844.441.180.4916.969.359.35
199411.144.671.170.4717.449.169.16
199511.404.591.130.3317.469.109.10
199611.654.831.210.3618.059.169.16
199711.834.951.160.4118.359.129.12
199812.034.841.080.5818.538.908.90
199912.585.031.180.5319.338.628.62
200012.734.921.280.5119.448.708.70
200112.614.891.250.5619.328.578.57
200212.794.931.190.4319.348.588.58
200312.964.901.280.5319.678.378.37
200413.165.231.260.5420.198.308.30
200513.385.101.200.5520.227.887.88
200613.495.191.030.2919.997.837.83
200713.605.051.040.2919.997.847.84
200814.474.600.960.2120.258.527.74
200914.024.3980.980.20719.608.998.03
201014.254.4130.950.20319.819.118.02
201114.544.6120.940.20620.299.418.24
201214.694.7460.930.20720.589.498.28
201314.764.7760.920.20220.669.758.45
201414.814.7870.900.20220.709.898.52
201514.864.8190.890.20420.7710.008.58
201614.904.8440.880.20520.8410.078.57
201715.004.8620.870.20520.9410.238.67
201815.054.8630.860.20720.9910.398.79
201915.184.8870.860.20821.1310.608.96
202015.304.8880.850.20921.2510.779.06
202115.414.8700.850.21121.3410.899.10
202215.584.8430.840.21121.4811.029.05
202315.704.8300.840.21221.5810.968.98
202415.854.8130.830.21321.7111.008.96
202515.984.8100.830.21321.8311.159.04
202616.134.8170.820.21421.9811.309.10
202716.284.7960.820.21422.1111.489.18
202816.374.7860.820.21522.1911.539.15
202916.494.7660.810.21522.2811.639.17
203016.664.7610.810.21622.4411.709.15
203116.814.7480.800.21722.5811.819.12
203216.954.7250.800.21722.6911.949.15
203317.144.7060.800.21822.8612.209.30
203417.314.6870.790.21923.0112.309.28
203517.504.6700.790.21923.1712.349.23

Sources:
1973-2008 from Davis, S.C. and Diegel, S.W., "Transportation Energy Data Book: Edition 28," Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, 2009.
2009-2035 from EIA, 2008, "Annual Energy Outlook 2010," Energy Information Administration, DOE/EIA-0383(2010), U.S. Department of Energy, Washington, DC, 2010.

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