Did You Know?

The oil and natural gas industry supports more than 9.2 million U.S. jobs.

Marcellus Shale development could create 113,000 American jobs by 2015.

Greater Canadian oil sands production could create more than 500,000 new U.S. jobs.

The oil and natural gas industry pays the federal government approximately $86 million a day.

America has enough oil and natural gas to power 65 million cars for 60 years.

America has enough oil and natural gas to heat 60 million households for 160 years.

Royalty revenue from energy production provides the U.S. Treasury with more than $25 million each day.

The oil and gas industry invested more than $2 trillion in U.S. capital projects since 2000.

The Eastern Gulf of Mexico may hold 3.8 billion barrels of oil.

Offshore energy development in the Atlantic could create another 3.8 billion barrels of oil.

Allowing offshore drilling in the Atlantic could create 37 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.

Increased domestic shale development could add as many as 317,000 American jobs by 2015.

Hydraulic fracturing has been used safely in 1 million wells over the past 60 years.

The United States has the most technically recoverable oil and natural gas resources in the world.

Offshore, America may have nearly 101 billion barrels of oil and 480 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.

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Ethanol and Storage Tank Corrosion »

A recent study suggested ethanol might be the source of corrosion in underground tanks used to store ultra low sulfur diesel fuel. Battelle, which conducted the study, checked a number of hypotheses, weighed the data and evidence and came to a conclusion pointing to ethanol. Not surprisingly, the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) – the ethanol lobby – didn’t like the study’s result and went on the offensive this week with a post on its blog:

"Battelle’s report attempts to draw meaningful conclusions from surprisingly few data points which leave fuel experts with many questions. Quite frankly, there are numerous plausible scenarios that can cause severe and rapid corrosion, including the monumental shift away from diesel fuel containing high levels of sulfur that took place in 2006."

RFA’s post cites other possible reasons for storage tank corrosion, including water contamination, humidity, diesel fuel corrosiveness and others.

The short answer is that Battelle considered them. A third-party consultant with no stake in the question, Battelle was commissioned for the study by a diverse group that includes representatives from gasoline and diesel marketers, equipment manufacturers, the railroad industry and the auto industry.