Why More Saudi Oil Could Harm American Consumers

Reader Comments
Back to blog

Maybe if someone produced public service ads that shows how much of the oil money goes to fund terrorists, the US and other oil consuming countries would make it a priority to reduce significantly their petroleum consumption. A public service ad that opens with a shot of someone filling their gas tank juxtaposed with 9-11 images or aftermath of ied attacks, shots of ridiculously large SUVs and trucks with monster tires, shots of a speedometer showing 80mph, all juxtaposed with the images of terrorist attacks. I think it is insanity that we continue to import oil and fund terrorism. We spend money to fight our own money, blowback and unintended consequences will bankrupt us. We need to save ourselves, it should be each citizens patriotic duty to use as little oil/gas as they can. Slow down people, carpool people, then we won't have to send our troops to fight our own money. Just because we kill a lot more of them does not mean we will win! Vietnam , remember? Killing more people is not the answer, cut off their funding. Every dollar you spend at the pump gives funding to terrorists. Save yourself! Save our country, save our young men and women! Save our future!
The Saudis are not our friends, they aren't even democratic, yet we look the other way for our oil.
OUR OWN MONEY IS KILLING US!
IT IS NOT UN-AMERICAN TO DRIVE IN A FUEL-EFFICIENT MANNER.
THE MOST AMERICAN,PATRIOTIC ACT EACH OF US CAN DO IS TO SAVE OIL.

MARK S of CA 4:04AM August 29, 2009

Lane in Springfield of MO
can you provide sources?
its my understanding that Iran has to send their oil out to be refined becuase they have very little capacity of their own!
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/31/AR2006053101464.html
http://www.eia.doe.gov/cabs/Iran/Oil.html
notice they need 1.9 they have 1.6
if you need more sources let me know...

bob of MO 11:57AM July 16, 2009

Good day to all people in America! First of, I'd like to thank all creators of this site for this opportunity to read important information.
Well I suppose that the most appropriate substitute for oil in near future will be solar energy. Frankly speaking, I believe scientists have already launched some projects and received successful results. The point is while there is oil underneath, "important" people will never allow to ruin their businesses. There exists so-called "the Committee of 300" that consists of the most powerful persons all over the world who determine and make final decisions concerning the direction of world economy development and consequently all energy sources.

Eugene 1:02PM May 23, 2009

Hey Folks,
With Obama's plan we won't need the Saudi's oil since we'll have Iraq's oil. Its not my idea to "bank" on stealing someone elses oil to get our nation out of debt and for us to operate our vehicles, but thats what Obama stated.
In all seriousness, I don't understand why it is that my old 1973 model F-100 pickup with a 360 V-8 got 18mpg in town and 22mpg on the highway. The pickup didn't have all of the cadalletic converters, port fuel injection, and electronics like today.
Ok, I buy a 1998 model F-150 pickup with a V-6 and I was doing good to get 14 mpg on the highway! Ok, I upgrade again to a 2006 Dodge 1500 Ram pickup with a V-6. This pickup is loaded but its also is short wheel base, unlike my previous pickups. This pickup is like my 1998 model...a HOG! Its a good thing that I don't work far away or go much. I just don't understand why progress with our vehicles doesn't mean better MPG?!
Do the manufacturers have a deal with foreign oil companies and Exxon? Gee...give me a frig'n break! Make a pickup that will get some MPG like they use too...PLEASE!

lindilu ashbury of NH 2:24PM March 12, 2009

I have a 2000 buick la sabre driving with a lite foot and coasting to red light I maintain a average of 20.9 miles per gal. with local driving

sealbeam of FL 12:09PM February 09, 2009

when I clicked the link on the article on the word hydrogen it was written by the same author I believe and no offense but I thought there was no such thing as free hydrogen (on earth to any degree) and I believe the link/article/explanation is misleading and creates a false sense of security and or a misunderstanding that keeps going around about this
I would also like to comment to the saudis and others like them who seem to be doubly blessed by not only having abundant oils underneath them but of alot of solar energy above them and that they should in my opinon reinvest their money into that renewable form of energy - I just read they have gotten past a 25 percent efficiency - not totally sure what that means - but I do know if the poor iraqi people had had solar panels on their homes it would have been harder for the americans to ruin their country in an embarrassing and evil attempt to steal their oil (we already stole this entire continent from the indians what more could we possibly be so selfish about?)
I felt really really good to hear from a saudi oil worker defending themselves on this board - I really feal bad for the people in the mideast as I would be scarred as hell of the americans and their blood thirsty ways for such a terrible and irresponsible hording addiction of petroleum that they would go so far as to chemically gas with phosphorus innocent civilians in fallujah I mean is this what we have become so spoiled by this addiction? saudis please - wean the u.s. from it this is not good for anybody I don't want my children growing up in such a world and it is obvious to me even though I am "an american" (I am first and foremost a human being trying to respect every other human being) - that we are not being moral and yet all I hear is how immoral everybody else is and how great the "american" way of life is
after what was done to those poor people in iraq I wouldn't sell a drop of the oil in saudi arabia if I was a citizen there I would keeep it all and tell others to make it on their own - I am sure the cia will use this 911 thing to eventually create some sort of problems or revolutions or whatever your creativity brings to you - to create a situation where they will go and "fight" saudi arabia in order to "free" them - yes they are our so called friends right now but so wasn't saddam hussein remember the picture of rumsfield shaking hands with him? look how they fliped against him just to create b.s. so as to justify an invasion for oil -
maybe that whole 911 thing was just that (a sort of screwed up blow back of instigating problems)and went the wrong way if ya get what I am saying which I am sure you do - they are always trying to spark some sort of secondary thing to happen in order to then (Falsely react) in some way favorable to them however evil that may be- those 911 kids may have even been somehow inspired not by islamic "crazies/terroris" but by some arse sitting in a bar in virginia or maryland right now

science is the answer of MA 12:03AM November 16, 2008

I agree with Bob of texas.! The petroleum reserve is the biggest reason for fuel prices staying high and getting even higher. If it wasn't for all the greedy bush oil groupies, stuffing they're pockets before he leaves office, we wouldn't be in all this mess. Keeping the reserve at full capacity is only creating more and more greedy people. Therefore I say to these greedy idiots, if you make a million or much much more, congratulations, you're now even richer. Now which other nation in the world are you going to move to. WHY, you ask. Because you will have bankrupted America and now we are (will be) the poorest nation on earth. Because your greed has sold us out.! Look around you everyone from every other nation is now buying up all the things we as americans have treasured for over 200 years.
NOW, I SAY, RELEASE SOME OF THE RESERVE AND PROVE YOU"RE NOT AS GREEDY AS I BELIEVE YOU ALL TRUELY ARE.! GOD CAN BLESS AMERICA, BUT ONLY OUR ELECTED IDIOTS CAN GET US OUT OF THE MESS THEY'VE GOTTEN US INTO. SO, DO IT NOW.!!!!!!

Scott of CO 3:03AM July 12, 2008

OPEC gave us our 1st wakeup slap in 1974. What did we do? We made lots of noise, acted like Chicken Little, resisted turning the thermostat down in winter and up in the summer, complained bitterly about 55 MPH speed limits and soon returned to our old bad habits. The oil companies continued to dismantle refinery capacity here and in Mexico till reaching a low point in 1980. This diminished capacity has been held in check by the industry for the last 25 yrs. This interesting informational data base was compiled and maintained by BP. This reduced refining capacity helped bottleneck supply in spite of rapidly increasing demand which the oil companies chose not to remedy. But overseas production/refining was increased notably by Iran abd Iraq to fund their long war with no real benefit to either side. The growth of foreign production in the mideast, the far east, the North Sea, Nigeria and others led to $15-20/barrel for domestic oil in the US which resulted in the capping of many wells and collapse of the domestic oil industry and lost of the supporting infrastructure. Once oil got back to $60/bbl life breathed back into the industry but not yet to point it was at in the early 80's
Our society today expects quick fixes/immediate results. Increases in oil production happens slowly and requires huge capital investment by very large companies owned by stockholders who wants quick financial rewards, not a 5 year wait until production comes on line. Production can come to a halt in dramatic fashion for many reasons. Politics (oil was discovered in Iran in 1908), wars (remembers DESERT STORM-Kuwait), unstable governments, not to mention Mother Nature (who is often not a lady), all combine to negatively new oil development and production both foreign and domestic.
What can we do until this oil is available if they get ready to drill tomorrow? Cars that run on less gas or no gas. In the next 2 yrs GM, Ford, Chrysler, Toyota, Honda and others hard at work to provide hybrids, electric and other alternative fuels to those who really want to change. We need to start now to build the infrastructure to support these vehicles. Electric cars need to be recharged and the power grid already has brownouts and rolling blackouts. Just think coming out from work on a hot summer afternoon to your car setting in cooling shade of a photovaic panel that has provided power to recharge your car batteries. And how many hydrogen stations have you seen on the road to work? All this needs to happen in less time than it takes to get the oil here that so many believe is the easy answer.
Also we need to learn from Europe where the price they pay per liter is nearly the same as we pay per gallon. Mass transit, living close to work so you could walk (heaven forbid) instead comuting an hour each way. People could talk to others in person instead of talking on the cellphone. It is a nice experience there.
Britan was still a major world power in 1908 when oil was discovered in Iran, my Dad was 4 yrs old, and oil was selling for 10 cents a barrel in Texas yet the control of the oil and the money and power that came with that control was being played around the world. We are the current 800 lb. gorilla, even if we are a bit soft and flabby, but there are a couple 300-400 gorillas (India and China) that are growing fast and putting major pressure on demand so that those with the oil do not have to play nice with us. The fact that India has a middle class equal to population of the USA should serve as another wakeup slap or else my great-grand kids will have to go to a museum to see what barrel of oil was like.

Lane in Springfield of MO 2:16AM July 12, 2008

The people who advocate driving 55/60 know what they are talking about.The people who don't are the ones too Bull Headed to try it so they keep on griping and buying 4 dollar gas.
Has anyone read the E-mail in which this gentleman gives interesting data that says there are enough PROVEN oil deposits in Alaska that more than equel All the oil in the midle east combined. Where are all our congress people when we need them

Indiana Bob of IN 10:11PM July 11, 2008

Having driven more than 1 million miles, I am eager to share some empiracal data with you.
The Mobil economy run more than 3 decades ago achieved 30 MPG with a Ford Pinto as follows. They used only 1 gallon of gas, a clean waxed car, not exceeding 55 MPH, minimum braking and no jack rabbit starts, by placing an egg beneath the gas pedal.
Today driving a 1995 Cadillac SLS, both winter and summer driving I get 30 MPG as follows: Turn off cruise control. Regardless of what some authorities may say, cruise control manitains a constant velocity when going up hill or slowing you down when going downhill. We need constant acceleration for better gas mileage. Turn off air conditioning and use economy air which does not use compressor a load on the engine.
In summer always buy gas in early AM or late at night. I measured 1 gallon of gas in Denver in summer whose pump was in the sun and it weighed 4.5 pounds. In winter at the same pump at minus 10 degrees, 1 gallon weighed 5.5 pounds. In this country temperature compensation stops when the delivery truck brings the thousands of gallons to the service station. Even though the reservoirs are under ground, on a hot day there is a difference in the weight of a gallon of gas between summer and winter. In Canada, they temperature compensate the gas at the pump at 15 degrees C/59 degrees F.
As mentioned above speed does affect gas mileage. Since most cars do not have a tachometer, we have to rely on the feel or the sound of the engine. Each car has a mfg specification for drag coefficient. Wind resistance or drag (D) is velocity squared, e.g., at 55 MPH, D = 3025. At 75 MPH D is 5625 which is almost double.
When I drive at 75 MPH and use AC and Cruise control my gas milezge is rreduced to 22 MPG in lieu of 30 as mentioned above.
And last, recently last week I drove to Napa California not driving the Cadillac above, but renting Enterprise, a white waxed car, low drag coefficient, 6 cylinder Dodge magnum, max mfg inflated tires, oil changed, burning regular, I averaged 25 MPG.
Each of us could reduce our consumption based on my experience, and some of the ideas annotated by others above.

John Epperson of CO 7:48PM June 29, 2008