Very Little Light-Sweet Crude Imports Coming into the Gulf

Article from Shale Energy Business Briefing’s daily newsletter. The increase in US shale and tight crude oil production has resulted in a decrease of crude oil imports to America’s Gulf Coast area, particularly for light-sweet and light-sour crude oils, according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA). Historically, Gulf Coast refineries have imported as much as 1.3 million barrels per day (MMBPD) of light-sweet crude oil, more than any other region of the country. Beginning in 2010, improvements to the crude distribution system and sustained increases in production in the region (in the Permian and Eagle Ford basins) have significantly reduced light crude imports. Since September 2012, imports of light-sweet crude oil to the Gulf Coast have regularly been less than 200,000 BPD. Similarly, Gulf Coast imports of light crude with higher sulfur content (known as “light-sour”) have declined and have been less than 200,000 BPD since July 2013. Along the Gulf Coast (defined
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