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American Energy is Lowering the Trade Deficit, Boosting Manufacturing, Fueling Innovation

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Mary Schaper
Posted February 6, 2014

Trade Gap Shrank in 2013 as U.S. Fuel Exports Climbed

Bloomberg News: The U.S. trade deficit in 2013 was the smallest since 2009, even as it ticked up at year’s end, as rising fuel exports and falling imports propelled the world’s biggest economy further toward energy independence.

The gap narrowed to $471.5 billion last year, the lowest since 2009, from $534.7 billion in 2012, figures from the Commerce Department showed today in Washington. The balance on petroleum products shrank 20.2 percent, also the biggest decline in four years.

Foreign sales went beyond fuel as demand for American-produced foods, capital equipment, autos and consumer goods all climbed to records in 2013, evidence of the rebound in global demand that will probably keep driving exports this year. Another report showing claims for jobless benefits dropped last week points to a healing in the U.S. labor market that will help boost consumer spending, ensuring imports also grow.

“The trade deficit will continue to narrow a bit over the course of 2014, mostly thanks to a smaller petroleum trade deficit,” said Ryan Wang, an economist at HSBC Securities USA Inc. in New York and the second-best trade forecaster over the past two years, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. “We’ll see another year of moderate growth.”

Read more: http://bloom.bg/1lDQLmp

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American Energy: From Scarcity to Abundance

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Mary Schaper
Posted December 4, 2013

A Pivotal Moment in U.S. Energy History

Global Energy Initiative (Jason Bordoff): We are at a transformational moment in energy history. Just a few years ago, all energy projections forecast increased imports, increased scarcity, and increased natural gas prices. Today, we’ve shifted from scarcity to abundance. U.S. oil production has increased by 2.5 million barrels per day (B/D) since 2010. This year, the United States overtook Saudi Arabia as the largest producer of liquid fuels (including crude oil, natural gas, and biofuels) in the world. U.S. oil imports are at their lowest level in 25 years and are projected to continue declining. The natural gas outlook is even more striking. New geological surveys and production data continue to surprise to the upside. And multi-billion-dollar terminals proposed not long ago to import natural gas are being flipped to export instead.

This transformation is not only a U.S. story. New technologies mean that what were once challenging sources of oil and gas can now be tapped economically from the oil sands in Canada (and potentially Venezuela), the ultra-deepwater “presalt” off the coast of Brazil, and many other parts of the world. Iraq, parts of Africa, and elsewhere are poised for sharp increases in production.

Energy Today – June 6, 2013

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Mary Schaper
Posted June 6, 2013

Bloomberg – Crude Output Exceeds Imports for First Time in 16 Years

The surge in U.S. shale development through hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling in North Dakota, Oklahoma and Texas has boosted domestic oil production – 7.3 million barrels a day last week alone – to the highest level since 1986, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

Fuel Fix Blog – Feds Give More Time To Study Proposed Drilling Rule

Last month API asked for an additional 90 days to study BLM’s proposed rule governing hydraulic fracturing. Today, Interior Secretary Sally Jewell said that she would allow an additional 60 days for stakeholders to review the proposed regulations.

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