Although the U.S. has long imported more gasoline than it has exported, a new study finds that the U.S. could become a net exporter of gas by the year 2010. The news is quite shocking but totally possible thanks to ever-shifting global demands.
According to a new report by Booz & Company, the conditions could be ideal for the U.S. to become a net exporter of gasoline. Although the U.S. still has a large thirst for gas, our demand for dino-juice has actually subsided over the last year due to record high prices at the pump. In fact, oil demand is down 8.6 percent this year, leaving us with a little extra capacity.
Take into consideration increasing bio-fuel production requirements and the rapid greenification of the automobile and our demand stands to decrease even further in the coming years.
However, while Americans are just in the beginning stages of weaning themselves off gasoline, emerging regions – such as India – are just preparing for a transportation boom. And because developing countries’ lack of refining capacity, they will be looking to outside countries to fulfill their ever-growing thirsts.
This is where the U.S. comes back into the equation. With our gas consumption on the decline, we would have enough excess capacity to ship to developing regions. This is not to say our exported gasoline would come from U.S. oil fields, but it would be entirely possible for us to import gas from other countries only to send it on its way once again, making the U.S. a net exporter of gasoline.
