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Industry advancements in exploration are accelerating how energy sources are identified while the industry’s record of extracting oil and natural gas safely and cleanly is maintained and improved.

• 3-D seismic technology and global satellite positioning enable geologists and engineers to pinpoint potential energy sources and "see" underground before drilling begins, dramatically improving the exploration success rate while greatly reducing surface disturbance and environmental impact
• Advanced directional drilling technology allows access to an underground target the size of a closet thousands of feet deep and more than five miles from the drilling rig, making it possible to drill more wells from a single location
• Improved drilling muds ease the friction and reduce the waste associated with drilling
• Slimhole drilling permits re-entering existing wells to tap new reserves in mature fields reducing environmental impacts and expanding recovery from known reservoirs

With the significant increases in energy demand in recent years, U.S. refineries have been running at nearly full capacity. Many refineries are using technological advances to get more out of each barrel of oil processed.

• Refinery automation is integrating process and energy system controls to boost operating efficiency and product yields
• New refinery emissions monitoring technology uses infrared lasers with advanced imaging systems to minimize releases
• Solvent-extraction systems reduce waste using one-third the energy it takes to refine lubricating oil from crude oil
• New process, equipment and catalyst technology advances are being used to meet new regulations requiring very low sulfur levels in gasoline and diesel fuel
• Efficiency improvements at refineries are converting crude oil residue into low-sulfur diesel and jet engine fuel and squeezing extra gallons from every barrel
• Low-sulfur gasoline produced by refineries generates up to 97 percent less emissions in one of today’s new cars than in a 1970s vehicle
• Ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel being produced today is making great strides in reducing particulate matter (soot) from diesel exhaust
• Co-generation is helping refineries capture waste heat and use it to produce electricity, which can minimize the need to purchase power and help reduce greenhouse gas emissions

For more than 100 years, consumers have relied upon oil and natural gas to enhance their quality of life. The cars we drive, the food we eat, the medicines we need – each product is touched in some way by America’s oil and natural gas industry. When we heat our homes, fills our gas tanks or reach for an aspirin, it’s the oil and natural gas industry that helps make it happen.

Currently, oil and natural gas fuel more than 97 percent of our nation’s vehicles, whether on land, sea, or in the air. Oil and natural gas are also key components in the vast majority of all manufactured goods. Whether it’s surgical equipment, fertilizers, phones, CDs, paints or fuels, the oil and natural gas industry supports our day-to-day safety, mobility, health and lifestyle.

Workplace, Agriculture and Commerce

In the workplace, in agriculture and in commerce, oil and natural gas keep us competitive and help create and protect American jobs. Petrochemical products are widely used in manufacturing for:

• Computers
• Fertilizers
• Adhesives
• Feedstocks
• Heating and Cooling
• Tools

Health and Safety

Our health and safety depend on products whose key components originate from petroleum:

• Artificial hearts and pacemakers
• Aspirin
• Soft contact lenses
• Bandages
• Emergency and Surgical equipment
• Antihistamines

Household Products

Oil and natural gas are processed to provide advanced fuels and the essential ingredients that make our homes comfortable, safe and enjoyable inside and out:

• Plastics
• Appliances
• Hot Water
• Roofing
• Cleaning Supplies
• Phones
• Clothing

Outdoor, Indoor and Family Recreation

When America plays, the oil and natural gas industry gets them where they want to go and helps create the "toys" we enjoy for outdoor, indoor and family recreation, including:

• Gas grills
• Basketballs, Footballs and Sports Equipment
• Life jackets
• CDs and portable music players
• Boats and Personal watercraft
• Goggles and Sunglasses
• Skis
• Surfboards

Transportation

A key component of our quality of life is personal mobility—the freedom to travel where we want, when we want, and the availability of safe and reliable transportation. The oil and natural gas industry powers most of our vehicles including:

• Cars, Trucks and Buses 
• Emergency Vehicles and Fire Trucks
• Trains
• Planes
• Boats 

Gasoline pumps and stations are designed to allow people to safely pump their gas.

Consumers can take steps to minimize static electricity-related incidents and other potential fueling hazards by following these safety guidelines:

• Turn off your vehicle engine. Put your vehicle in park and/or set the emergency brake. Disable or turn off any auxiliary sources of ignition such as a camper or trailer heater, cooking units, or pilot lights.
• Do not smoke, light matches or lighters while refueling at the pump or when using gasoline anywhere else.
• Use only the refueling latch provided on the gasoline dispenser nozzle. Never jam the refueling latch on the nozzle open.
• Do not re-enter your vehicle during refueling. If you cannot avoid re-entering your vehicle, discharge any static build-up BEFORE reaching for the nozzle by touching something metal with a bare hand — such as the vehicle door — away from the nozzle.)
• In the unlikely event a static-caused fire occurs when refueling, leave the nozzle in the fill pipe and back away from the vehicle. Notify the station attendant immediately.

Portable Containers

• When dispensing gasoline into a container, use only an approved portable container and place it on the ground to avoid a possible static electricity ignition of fuel vapors. Containers should never be filled while inside a vehicle or its trunk, the bed of a pickup truck or the floor of a trailer.
• When filling a portable container, manually control the nozzle valve throughout the filling process. Fill a portable container slowly to decrease the chance of static electricity buildup and minimize spilling or splattering. Keep the nozzle in contact with the rim of the container opening while refueling.
• Fill the container no more than 95 percent full to allow for expansion.
• Place cap tightly on the container after filling – do not use containers that do not seal properly.
• Only store gasoline in approved containers as required by federal or state authorities. Never store gasoline in glass or any other unapproved container.
• If gasoline spills on the container, make sure that it has evaporated before you place the container in your vehicle. Report spills to the attendant.
• When transporting gasoline in a portable container make sure it is secured against tipping and sliding, and never leave it in direct sunlight or in the trunk of a car.

Additional Safety Guidelines

• Do not over-fill or top-off your vehicle tank, which can cause gasoline spillage.
• Never allow children under licensed driving age to operate the pump.
• Avoid prolonged breathing of gasoline vapors. Use gasoline only in open areas that get plenty of fresh air. Keep your face away from the nozzle or container opening.
• Never siphon gasoline by mouth nor put gasoline in your mouth for any reason. Gasoline can be harmful or fatal if swallowed. If someone swallows gasoline, do not induce vomiting. Contact a doctor or and emergency medical service provider immediately.
• Keep gasoline away from your eyes and skin; it may cause irritation. Remove gasoline-soaked clothing immediately.
• Use gasoline as a motor fuel only.  Never use gasoline to wash your hands or as a cleaning solvent.

From the ground to the pump… or the playing field… or the medicine cabinet… each and every day Americans rely on the products created by oil and natural gas. And behind this vital product is an important story that needs to be told. Whether it’s:

• Learning the value of oil and natural gas in fueling our way of life,
• Recognizing that energy efficiency has its benefits,
• But a rapidly growing world still needs greater supply; or
• Developing a better understanding of how company performance contributes to the average American’s retirement portfolio;

We should all know the intangibles of this irreplaceable product.

In just one 24-hour period, the oil and natural gas industry delivers:

• Enough energy to heat 80 million homes
• 382 million gallons of gasoline to service stations, enabling 200 million drivers to get to work, take their kids to school, and take vacations– traveling 7.5 billion road miles every day
• 67 million gallons to airport terminals, enabling 30,000 flights to travel around the world

Every day, the industry employs 1.9 million people directly, and many more indirectly.

The oil and natural gas industry believes that we will need all energy resources – wind, solar, biofuels and others – to meet the world’s growing demand for energy supplies. The world needs a portfolio of resources, as well as advanced research into future sources and technologies.

Energy companies are conducting or funding a significant amount of research into alternative energy sources. They also have partnered with the federal government and the U.S. auto industry to examine and advance the research needed to develop technologies necessary to develop a full range of fuel efficient and affordable cars and light trucks.

There are several conventional and unconventional fuel sources that have the potential to provide future benefits:

Conventional sources – billions of dollars in research have helped and scientists develop cleaner, more efficient, and better performing fuels from crude oil:

• Reformulated gasoline has led to significant reductions in ozone precursors and toxic emissions
• The introduction of ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel is enabling the use of cleaner-technology diesel engines and vehicles resulting in significantly improved air quality
• Some refineries are converting heavier, sour crude oil into low-sulfur gasoline, diesel and jet engine fuel and squeezing extra gallons from every barrel
• Upgrading inferior oil sources (i.e. tar and oil sands) into refinery feedstocks shows promise
• Turning waste and residue hydrocarbons into high-value products through gasification is yet another approach being considered

Frontier sources – research is also leading the way toward the development of new sources of energy:

• Biofuels, such as ethanol and biodiesel, are being produced from corn, oil seeds, animal fats, and waste oils
• Processes to convert woody biomass and other cellulosic feedstocks into transportation fuels are being actively investigated
• Hydrogen, created by using natural gas, is being considered as a transportation fuel
• Fuel cells that convert hydrogen and oxygen into water, and in the process produce electricity could be used for heating and cooling, as well as for transportation, in the future
• Methane hydrates – methane gas frozen in ice crystals – could produce clean-burning energy for 1,000 years
• Coal gasification produces liquids that show promise as transportation fuels
• Processes that turn natural gas into a liquid fuel also can help to meet transportation demands. Even landfill gas is being converted into liquid fuel

• One company reduced C02 emissions through more efficient production of steam and electric power, by investing in 85 cogeneration facilities at some 30 company locations worldwide.
   
• Through its energy-efficiency subsidiary – fourth largest in the U.S. – one company saved its customers 177 million kWh of electricity and 1.2 billion cubic feet of natural gas in 2005 alone.
   
• One company implemented a five-year $350 million program to increase energy efficiency. In 2005, total primary energy consumption at this company was approximately two percent less than in 2004.
   
• One company is investing $100 million to add 250 megawatts of cogeneration to a refinery to more fully use its refinery fuel gas – increasing refinery efficiency and reducing emissions.
   
• Through a consistent focus on energy efficiency, one company has reduced its own energy consumption per unit of output by 24 percent since 1992.
   
• Through voluntary efforts such as participation in the EPA Natural Gas STAR program, one company has reduced natural gas emissions by more than 20 billion cubic feet in the U.S. since 1991.
   
• One company is working with Toyota and Caterpillar on separate programs to design high-efficiency, low-emission gasoline and diesel fuel/engine systems.
   
• One company completed extensive upgrades to 16 Colorado state buildings that are expected to reduce energy costs at the facilities by 25-30 percent and save state taxpayers nearly $1 million annually and more than $20 million over the next two decades.
   
• Partnering with the California Institute of Technology, one company is conducting a multi-million dollar research program that could open the door to a radical new way of producing solar cells, making the cost of solar electricity more competitive and increasing current efficiency levels.

API member refiners have set a voluntary goal to improve energy efficiency by 10 percent between 2002 and 2012, and are making progress to meet it through such technologies as using heat from their operations to produce additional energy – which reduces energy use and resulting emissions. Other technologies and changes in practice being used to meet this goal include advanced process controls, refinery optimization, investments in new, more efficient refinery facilities, retirement of non-competitive facilities and higher refinery utilization.

Despite increasing challenges to improve energy efficiency – including more stringent product specifications and heavier, higher-sulfur crude feedstocks – API member companies have collectively made significant refinery energy efficiency improvements since the adoption of the 10 in 10 initiative in 2003.

In 2006, improvements in energy efficiency at API member refineries – compared to the technology used in 2002 – produced energy savings equivalent to taking 531,000 cars off the road, or savings equivalent to the electricity used by more than 963,000 homes.

The environmental investments of the oil and natural gas industry represent a crucial aspect of today’s energy exploration process.

America’s oil and natural gas industry uses technologies to find resources in a clean and responsible manner. Through new seismic exploration and extended reach drilling technologies, geologists can see and survey underground oil and natural gas deposits more effectively than in days past. This improves exploration success rates while reducing surface disturbance and environmental impact. Electronic navigation and physical oceanographic systems also help safeguard our natural resources and are a large part of the reason why over the last decade, more than 99.9 percent of oil delivered by tankers has reached its destination in the U.S. without incident.