EPRINC briefing
Crude Exports and Petroleum Infrastructure
28 publications
Briefing summary
Since the U.S. crude export ban was lifted in December 2015, exports have grown to over 4 million barrels per day, with roughly 1.4 million flowing to Europe, though limited planned pipeline capacity through 2030 could constrain further growth.
Should the crude oil export ban be lifted?
ChartDisplacing European Energy Imports from Russia with U.S. Exports – The Case of Crude OilSince the U.S. crude oil export ban was lifted in December 2015, U.S. crude exports have grown to over 4 MB/d, of which Europe imports roughly 1.4…Chart 2025-36EventEPRINC’s Trisha Curtis presents at Brookings Task Force on the U.S. Crude Oil Export DebateTrisha Curtis addresses the complicated debate on the restrictions of crude oil exports before the Brookings Task Force on February 28, 2014.Mar 2014
Is crude-by-rail a durable substitute for pipelines?
ChartU.S. Liquid Fuel and Feedstock Rail Movements: Select ViewsAt the onset of the U.S. shale revolution in the late 2000s, limited pipeline capacity to move crude oil production—particularly from North…Chart 2023-01EventThe Uncensored Version of Trisha Curtis’ Presentation before the BNSF Crude by Rail SummitThe uncensored version of Trisha Curtis’ presentation before the BNSF Crude by Rail Summit.Jul 2014PressEPRINC’s Larry Goldstein and Trisha Curtis are Quoted in New York Times ArticleAbout 75 percent of Bakken oil production travels by rail and as much as 400,000 barrels a day heads to the East Coast, said Trisha Curtis, an…Mar 2014PressWyoming could see more crude-by-rail shipments in the future“There are seven crude-by-rail facilities that are proposed or planned or in construction in Wyoming,” Curtis says. “When those are…Jan 2014
How should condensates and NGLs be classified for export?
ReportCondensate: An EPRINC Primer I am especially grateful to Max Pyziur for leading this effort and pulling together a coherent and clear understanding of the role played by this…Feb 2015EventPresentations from EPA’s November 12 Brown Bag Lunch and the 2014 Condensate and Naphtha ForumPosted below are two recent presentations by Lou Pugliaresi and Trisha Curtis. Lou presented on the potential for and uncertainties surround U.S.…Nov 2014EventEPRINC Embassy Series: NGLs and Condensates of the Petroleum RenaissanceThe event agenda and presentations (pdf) can be accessed below: The Lesser Loved Liquids: NGLs and Condensates of the Petroleum Renaissance –…Oct 2013
Is North American infrastructure adequate for shale volumes?
ReportEPRINC’s North American Infrastructure Report Released“Pipelines, Trains and Trucks: Moving Rising North American Oil Production to Market” can be downloaded below. The report covers the…Oct 2013ReportThe Bakken Boom: An Introduction to North Dakota’s Shale OilDownload PDF version of report for citations The Bakken Boom – JAPANESE VERSION North Dakota has been an oil producing state for 60 years,…Aug 2011ChartWest Coast Product Receipts: The Jones Act Waiver’s Sixfold SurgeCombined April and May 2026 waterborne receipts of Gulf Coast petroleum products into the U.S. West Coast reached 377 thousand barrels per day,…Chart 2026-27ChartAbatements to Additional U.S. Pipeline Capacity Could Challenge Future Growth in U.S. Energy Production and ExportsNew pipeline additions have slowed sharply since their late-2000s and mid-2010s peaks, and projections through 2030 show minimal planned capacity —…Chart 2025-12ChartCrude Oil and Product Movements: The North American Production PlatformThe chart maps the crude oil and refined product flows that integrate the U.S., Canadian, and Mexican energy markets, showing that Canada and Mexico…Chart 2025-05ChartThe North American Hydrocarbon Production Platform: Fueling the Americas Generating TradeThe North American Petroleum Renaissance, marked by combined USMCA increases in crude oil and petroleum products production alongside relatively…Chart 2022-16EventEPRINC Embassy Series: Building out the North American Energy InfrastructureThe event began with opening remarks by EPRINC President Lucian Pugliaresi and Canadian Political Minister Martin Loken. Both stressed the…Oct 2017EventEmbassy Event Presentations: North American Petroleum Infrastructure, at the Norwegian Ambassador’s ResidenceThe event agenda and presentations (pdf) can be accessed below: Agenda: Infrastructure Challenges and the North American Petroleum Renaissance – May…Jun 2013EventHow the Game Has Changed – Infrastructure and the North American Petroleum RenaissanceThat presentation can be downloaded (PDF) by clicking the image below. Feb 2013Op-EdWSJ Opinion: Keystone Can Help the Gulf—and the NortheastBy LUCIAN PUGLIARESI Opposition to the Keystone XL pipeline comes in many forms. Former House speaker and current Democratic Minority Leader…Feb 2012CommentaryAmerican Fuels – Opportunities and Challenges for the U.S. Refining IndustryThe upstream production gains provide an opportunity for stable earnings for U.S. refiners and higher production of the entire range of petroleum…Jan 2012CommentaryExports, Imports, and Energy SecurityDecember 21, 2011 (Download PDF version for citations) Over the past 18 months EPRINC has published several assessments on the economic…Jan 2012CommentaryThe Value of the Canadian Oil Sands (….to the United States)The pipeline would permit the shipment of increased volumes of heavy crudes to U.S. Gulf Coast refiners from expanded oil sands production sourced…Nov 2010PressOil & Gas Journal Publishes EPRINC’s Infrastructure ReportThe Oil & Gas Journal has published EPRINC’s infrastructure report. Readers can access the full piece at eprinc-2.n3w.site.Mar 2014
Further research
ChartDisplacing European Energy Imports from Russia with U.S. Exports – The Case of Petroleum ProductsThe United States exports roughly 3.1 million barrels per day of petroleum products, of which about 550,000 barrels per day flow to Europe—a share…Chart 2025-37ChartDisruptions of Pipelined Gasoline from the U.S. Gulf Coast to the Atlantic CoastAs the DOE prepares to sell down the one-million-barrel Northeast Gasoline Supply Reserve between May 27 and June 30, 2024, NOAA's forecast for the…Chart 2024-21ChartU.S. Gulf Coast Refineries Continuing Reliance on Medium and Heavy Sour Crude Oil ImportsRefineries along the U.S. Gulf Coast, which account for 55% of U.S. refining capacity and are optimized for medium and heavy sour crudes, continue…Chart 2024-20ChartU.S. Crude Oil Import Dependence and Potential VulnerabilityU.S. crude oil imports have swung widely over seven decades, from near self-sufficiency in the late 1940s to a 2008 peak exceeding 210% of domestic…Chart 2023-40