In some cases, particularly on the East and West Coasts, it’s less expensive or faster to import finished motor gasoline and gasoline blending components from other countries than from domestic suppliers. Still, most gasoline sold in the United States begins as crude oil and follows a complex journey before reaching the pump.
US Crude Oil Imports
US petroleum refineries make gasoline and other petroleum products from crude oil and other liquids produced in the US or imported from other countries. Most US refiners use a mix of crude oils, and this mix can change based on the cost and availability of crude oil from various sources.
In 2023, the US imported about 8.51 million barrels per day (b/d) of petroleum from 86 countries. Petroleum includes crude oil and refined petroleum products like gasoline and diesel fuel.
The top five source countries of US gross petroleum imports in the same year were Canada (52%), Mexico (11%), Saudi Arabia (5%), Iraq (4%), and Brazil (3%).
Refining Crude Oil Into Gasoline
Crude oil is broken down into various components at petroleum refineries to become new products. Refineries in the US generally produce gasoline to meet US market demand, and they produce nearly all of the gasoline sold here.
Moving to Storage Terminals
Most gasoline moves through shared pipelines in batches from refineries to large storage terminals near consuming areas.
In pipeline operations, batching is a method of transporting different types of liquid petroleum through a single pipeline. Instead of dedicating separate pipelines to each fuel type, operators send products in batches. An operator could send gasoline for several hours, switch to jet fuel, and finish with diesel. This method offers a cost-effective solution and allows operators to adapt to changing demand.
Diving to Blending Terminals and Fueling Stations
Tanker trucks move the gasoline from the large storage terminals to smaller blending terminals. At these smaller terminals, it is processed into finished motor gasoline.
It is typically blended with ethanol, a renewable fuel made from various plant materials collectively known as biomass. Over 98% of US gasoline contains ethanol to oxygenate the fuel. Ethanol is available in the following blends: E10 (10% ethanol and 90% gasoline), E15 (10.5% to 15% ethanol), and E85 (51% to 83% ethanol).
Lastly, tanker trucks deliver the finished motor gasoline to more than 100,000 retailers throughout the US.
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