The Oil Industry
Whether we’re driving a car, riding a bus, using a toothbrush, wearing glasses or shoes, or even camping in a tent, we’re using products made with crude oil. Use the Oil Industry Web Guide to learn more about what oil is, how it’s extracted from the ground and how oil plays a considerable role in the economy today.
Expand All Guide SectionsOil
Learn how oil is formed, get an overview of the main issues in the oil industry and read how the oil industry meets daily energy demands.
Insights for Oil
- You may have better luck using “crude oil” as a search term to avoid finding Web sites about cooking oil.
- Curious about products made from crude oil? Arctic National Wildlife Refuge offers a list of everyday products made from oil.
Top Sites for Oil
The Energy Information Administration
Kid’s Page explains how oil was formed, what fuels are made from oil and more. Though the page is meant for the younger set, the information is still very thorough.
Institute for Energy Research
notes that oil is a leading source of energy in the United States, and features printable charts about oil production and consumption in the country.
American Petroleum Institute
provides an informative review of oil and natural gas, policy issues surrounding these energy resources, industry statistics and environmental health and safety matters.
PBS
takes a look at how world oil demand is met each day through current exploration, production and oil transportation methods.
History of the Oil Industry
The first oil discovery in the United States paved the way for a tremendous industry to grow and develop. Read on to study the history of the oil industry.
Insights for History of the Oil Industry
- Read about the “Birthplace of the Oil Industry” in Titusville, Pa.
- “There Will Be Blood,” a film directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, tells the story of an oil tycoon in the early part of the 20th century.
Top Sites for History of the Oil Industry
Oil150
chronicles the history of oil, starting with the drilling of the first commercial oil well in Pennsylvania. Use the menu options at the left of the page to explore the site.
Time magazine
provides a brief history of the oil barrel, which has been used to store oil since the mid-1800s.
Oil Drilling
No matter where oil is discovered, scientists and engineers are continually seeking new and better methods of oil drilling.
Top Sites for Oil Drilling
Schlumberger Oilfield Glossary
is an award-winning glossary of terms related to activities in the oilfield. Find definitions easily by clicking the first letter of the term you’re looking for.
Consumer Energy Alliance
describes the environmental impacts of exploration and production (drilling), and also has estimates on the volume of the world’s oil reserves that has already been consumed.
API Tech Tour
is a Web site provided by the American Petroleum Institute. Watch the videos to get a better understanding of the technology and innovations used to drill oil and natural gas from under the earth’s surface.
Oil Pipelines
After being extracted from the ground, oil must be transported through an oil pipeline to a refinery for further processing. But moving the product from one point to another isn’t always a simple affair.
Insights for Oil Pipelines
- According to the National Energy Technology Laboratory, pipelines are the primary means of transporting oil within the United States.
Top Sites for Oil Pipelines
Association of Oil Pipe Lines (AOPL)
explains how pipelines work and provides maps of crude oil and refined pipelines in the U.S. Hover your mouse over the links at the top of the page to learn more.
Energy Information Administration (EIA)
presents oil chokepoints around the world, which are locations for shipping oil by tankers on maritime routes.
Pipeline Safety Trust
provides educational material about safety issues for all kinds of pipelines. If you’re wondering about pipelines underground where you live, this resource is a great place to start.
PBS
offers a feature about the Alaska Pipeline. The interactive Special Features section helps you more thoroughly explore how a pipeline is built, how oil moves through the pipeline and how pipelines operate.
Oil Refineries
Oil refineries are an integral part of converting oil into an energy resource. The sites below link to information on how an oil refinery operates and provide an overview of oil refining in the U.S.
Top Sites for Oil Refineries
National Petrochemical & Refiners Association
guides you through the oil refining process, and provides helpful facts about crude oil along the way.
ABC News
examines the oil refinery situation in the United States, and provides videos on oil drilling and oil exploration.
The Oil Market
The price of oil plays a major role in the state of our economy. The Web sites in this section provide a more complete picture of the oil market.
Top Sites for the Oil Market
Energy Information Administration
provides an overview of the U.S. oil market, including information on prices, stocks, consumption, analysis and more.
BBC
has a collection of features, analysis and opinion reports on what’s happening with the oil market, what it’s like to be an oil trader and how high oil prices affect world economies.
Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)
describes the function of the multi-nation organization and its role in helping to regulate world oil prices. Track oil prices, learn about the history of OPEC and the oil industry in general.
The Minerals Management Service (MMS)
explains the Minerals Revenue Management program in the United States and how revenue from federal onshore and offshore mineral leases is managed.
Gas Prices
For a better understanding of how the price of oil affects gas prices at the pump, explore the Web sites in this section.
Top Sites for Gas Prices
Energy Information Administration
offers “A Primer on Gasoline Prices” that describes how the price of oil affects the price of gasoline.
Federal Trade Commission
discusses how the refining capacity of oil processing facilities makes an impact on the price of gasoline at the pump.
GasBuddy.com
is a network of more than 180 Web sites that track the lowest gas prices in states around the country. Choose a state on the map to get started.
Energy News
Read on to learn some of the best places to find energy news, and track oil and energy developments around the world.
Insights for Energy News
- Many news resources have RSS feeds or e-mail alerts you can subscribe to for faster access to the news you want.
Top Sites for Energy News
World Energy News
gathers energy news updates from around the Web. Scroll down the page to tab between nuclear, wind power, petroleum and other energy news stories.
Forbes
has an “Energy” section that gathers energy headlines from the Associated Press, provides Dow Jones energy sector indexes and more.
Worldnews Network
devotes a section of its Web site specifically to news about oil. Select a category from the menu at the top of the site to get started.
The Oil Drum
is a blog discussing energy issues and the future. Find entries about oil prices, oil dependency and other world energy developments.
© 2012 Dulcinea Media, Inc.
