Water Resource Programs:
Importance to America's Petroleum Industry
     A well-maintained, adequately funded waterways system plays a vital role in our country's economy, particularly for the petroleum industry.  Outside of the waterways community, however, few people know of the navigation, flood protection, municipal and industrial water supply, and other water resources programs and their far-reaching national benefits.
     Petroleum and petroleum products are truly one of this nation's building blocks, with petroleum, oil, and natural gas supplying 65% of all energy that is used in the United States today. In addition to the energy we consume in the gas we put into our cars, the fuel that heats our homes, and many other uses as a fuel source, the list of products that originate from these products is endless.  Oil is used to make chemicals and plastics which in turn are used in other everyday products like bicycle tires and the rubber on the bottom of our shoes.  Even items as simple as plastic straws or children's crayons could not be made without petrochemical products.
     Nearly half of the world's seaborne trade consists of moving crude oil or petroleum products, making water transportation invaluable to those who work in the petroleum industry.  Since the sources of the oil, the locations of refineries, and the end-users of petroleum products are seldom located together, efficient transportation becomes essential.  This country's system of ports and waterways provides a safe, cost-effective mode of transportation to the petroleum industry, helping to move the large amounts of oil that the nation demands.

Did You Know?
FACT: The nation's transportation network relies on the inland waterway system.  Petroleum products make up to 20% of all of the commodities moving on the river, some 125 million tons of crude oil, diesel fuel, JP4 jet fuel, gasoline, heavy fuel oils and asphalt. Fifty-one percent of the nation's 600 oil terminals and 37% of its oil refineries are located along the inland and intracoastal waterways system.
FACT: One out of every 10 short tons of commodities shipped along U.S. waterways is a crude oil product, and one out of every four short tons is likely to be a refined petroleum product.  Crude oil and petroleum products accounted for over 42% of all short tons shipped on inland and coastal waterways as well as the Great Lakes in 1998. (continued)