Most of U.S. oil from Middle East

www.dailypress.com Published February 22 2003 Pernell Watson Feb 18, 2003   Q: Where does the crude oil imported to the United States come from? - D.G., Newport News A: According to the Energy Information Administration, these were the chief sources of crude oil imported to the United States in barrels per day in 2001: (1) Saudi Arabia, 1.611 million; (2) Mexico, 1.394 million; (3) Canada, 1.335 million; (4) Venezuela, 1.291 million; and (5) Iraq, 795,000. The United States imports nearly 53 percent of its crude oil from abroad. Of the crude oil the United States imports, an estimated 21 percent comes from the Middle East. To avoid putting the United States at the mercy of the Middle East, the government has begun negotiating with African countries in an attempt to increase oil production on the continent. Canada is the top petroleum supplier to the United States and has been the top supplier to the U.S. of refined petroleum products which includes gasoline and jet fuel.