Gasoline helps power the American dream, giving us the freedom to travel where we want and when we want - for work, for school or for recreation. A steady supply of clean-burning gasoline is central to our nation's economy.
Gasoline Prices in Perspective
Energizing America: Facts for Addressing Energy Policy
The United States is at an historic turning point for the country and its energy policies. But many Americans lack a full understanding of the oil and natural gas industry. API has assembled this oil and gasoline primer to encourage a constructive public policy debate that leads to a new fact-based comprehensive energy policy.
Sections include discussions of U.S. energy needs, investments, carbon mitigation, refineries and fuels, untapped potential of domestic resources, factors affecting price, global energy framework, and energy policy.
Size: 2.5 MB | Date: November 20, 2009 | License: Free
Understanding Today's Crude Oil and Product Markets (Oil Primer)
American consumers, and policy makers, are anxious for answers to explain why fuel bills are getting more expensive. They wonder what has caused the price of crude to push past $70 per barrel and how that crude price affects the price of gasoline and other refined products. In a project commissioned by API, Lexecon. a unit of business consultancy FTI, has put together a primer called “Understanding Today’s Crude Oil and Products Markets.”
Download/view
Size: 1.7 MB | Date: May 2006 | License: Free
Facts About the World Crude Oil Market
Many participants play important roles in the world crude oil marketplace. This impacts the price and supply of gasoline and other fuels. The United States imports over 60 percent of its oil so it is affected by events around the world. American refiners compete for crude oil supplies in a global marketplace. When crude oil supplies are tight, our refiners have to bid higher to ensure a steady supply of fuel for American consumers and businesses. The cost of crude oil is reflected in the price you pay at the pump.
Mouse over the squares in the map below to see important facts about the global oil situation.
Size: 17 KB | Date: July 24, 2009 | License: Free
The Gasoline Production Process
It takes just a few short minutes for you to fill up at the pump. But it takes a global network of production, transportation, refining and distribution to make that fill-up possible. Explore “The Story of Oil and Natural Gas” below to learn how crude oil reserves located deep within the Earth are recovered and refined into the gasoline (and many other products) you count on every day.
Video: The Story of Oil and Natural Gas
Gasoline Prices are Linked to Crude Oil Prices
The price of crude oil is the major factor in determining the price of gasoline at the pump, but there are a number of other factors. While it may not seem so to frustrated Americans struggling to make ends meet, today’s gasoline prices are very much in line with crude prices. For more information, see Gasoline Prices in Today’s Market.
Why Does the Cost of Gasoline Differ from Place to Place?
The federal government's Energy Information Administration (EIA) data indicate that average retail gasoline prices tend to be higher in certain areas than in others. One reason is that state and local taxes vary. Other factors that may contribute to regional and even local differences include:
- Proximity of supply
- Supply disruptions
- Competition in local markets
- Environmental requirements
- Operating costs
Gasoline Prices - How Much are You Paying?
Click on a state in the U.S.A. map to find the current gasoline price average for that state.
Size: 70 KB | Date: July 20, 2009 | License: Free
For the national average, see:
How Can I Lower My Gas Bills?
Drivers have many options when it comes to saving money at the fuel pump. Here are some useful tips to help you cut down your fuel bill.
Fuel Saving Tips
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Have your car tuned regularly. An engine tune-up can improve car fuel economy by an average of 1 mile per gallon.
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Keep your tires properly inflated. Under-inflated tires can decrease fuel economy by up to 1 mile per gallon.
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Slow down. The faster you drive, the more gasoline your car uses. Driving at 65 miles per hour rather than 55 miles per hour reduces fuel economy by about 2 miles per gallon.
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Avoid jackrabbit starts. Abrupt starts require about twice as much gasoline as gradual starts.
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Pace your driving. Unnecessary speedups, slowdowns and stops can decrease fuel economy by up to 2 miles per gallon.
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Use your air conditioner sparingly. The use of air conditioning can reduce fuel economy by as much as 2 miles per gallon.
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Avoid lengthy engine idling. Turn your engine off when you are delayed for more than a couple of minutes.
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Plan your trips carefully. Combine short trips into one to do all your errands. Avoid traveling during rush hours if possible, to reduce fuel-consumption patterns such as starting and stopping and numerous idling periods. Consider joining a car pool.
See: http://www.carcare.org
For more safety at the pump information, see here.
Putting Earnings into Perspective
It may surprise you to find out our industry’s earnings are typically in line with the average of other major U.S. manufacturing industries. From just who owns “big oil” to how we invest what we earn, we’ve prepared this short paper, based on well-documented data, to help you better understand the oil and natural gas industry’s earnings by putting them into perspective.
View Primer
Size: 1 MB | Date: June 5, 2009 | License: Free
How is Gasoline Made?
Crude oil is basically a mix of hydrocarbons -- molecules made up of carbon, hydrogen and various other elements -- that differ widely in size, structure and characteristics. A refinery sorts and processes these hydrocarbons into useful and reliable products, including gasoline, heating oil and diesel. Today's refineries must also fine-tune different batches of gasoline to meet regulatory requirements that vary from state to state. Regardless of where you live, the gasoline you use is engineered to be the cleanest ever, protecting both your health and our environment. Link:
How Does Gasoline Get from the Refinery to Your Local Service Station?
Most refined gasoline travels via pipeline to large storage tanks that feed into local distribution centers around the country. The final leg of the journey - from the terminal to your local service station -- is made by tanker truck. Despite all this travel, major leaks and spills in US waters are rare these days, evidence of an industry commitment to using the latest technologies and preventive measures.
See the Energy Information Administration's
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