How much of its oil does Canada export to the United States?
Currently, Canada sends more than 99 percent of its oil exports to the United States—the bulk of which goes to Midwestern refineries. By getting more of their oil from Canada, Midwest refineries would move from the back of the crude oil supply line to the front—making them less vulnerable to supply disruptions caused by geopolitical upheaval or storms in the Gulf of Mexico. What are oil sands and how are they used? Oil sands are naturally occurring mixtures of sand, clay, water and a form of petroleum called bitumen—which can be upgraded for synthetic crude oil and refined to make asphalt, gasoline, jet fuel and some chemicals. How do oil sands factor into the U.S. energy mix? According to EIA, Canada is the number-one supplier of imported oil and natural gas to the United States. Of the Canadian crude oil brought into this country, approximately half is derived from oil sands. According to a study released in May 2009 by the Cambridge Energy Research Associates, if oil sands developme
