We are proudest of the fact that the petroleum industry in the State of Connecticut employs 13,000 people whose annual payroll exceeds $624,000,000. Our people live in all of our state's 169 cities and towns.  These are the professional, licensed oilheat technicians who install and maintain our heating systems - these are the professional, licensed drivers of the trucks who deliver products to our homes, businesses and service stations - these are the people who keep Connecticut on the move by piloting the ships and barges into our harbor terminals and run our service stations.  13,000 Connecticut citizens who are our connection to a world of energy.  13,000 Connecticut citizens who make sure you get the vital energy you need, every day.

Connecticut's petroleum marketers have removed or replaced more then 47,000 underground tanks since 1998 at a cost exceeding $540,000,000. We have dramatically improved all oil handling and storage procedures and reduced incidents of releases to the environment. 

The Oilheat industry has reduced the carbon footprint of the average heating system by 40% in the last 30 years with increases in the efficiency of the equipment consumers use. No other industry can come close to matching that reduction in emissions. Oil heat has always provided a winning combination: high efficiency and low emissions. Now the latest in oil-fueled home heating systems are nearing zero emissions for smoke and combustion discharge. That means you get the most for your heating fuel money while helping to ensure cleaner air for your family, your community and generations to come.

• Residential oil burners produce less than one-third of one percent (.003) of total particulate emissions in the United States.

• The emissions from a home heating oil are about the same as those from a similar-size natural gas burner.

• New oil heating systems boast energy efficiency ratings ranging from 83 to 94 percent. By contrast, the energy efficiency ratings for electric heat pumps range from 51 to 82 percent, depending on the technology used.

The State of Connecticut has tremendous advantages in its diverse supply of petroleum products.  Our state is blessed with deep water terminals at New London, New Haven and Bridgeport whose terminal suppliers can call on refineries in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and the Gulf Coast via pipelines in order to secure domestic supplies.  In addition, these terminal operators call on supply from Canada, Venezuela, Mexico, the Caribbean, Europe, Russia and Africa.  Retail heating oil and motor fuels dealers also call on supply points in neighboring states.  Providence, Rhode Island, Springfield, Massachusetts, Albany, New York and New York Harbor all serve as points of supply for our state's petroleum needs. With more than 1/2 of our petroleum consumption derived from domestic sources, the majority of our refined product imports comes from Canada - the same source from which we receive the majority of our new natural gas supplies.

The nation's refinery system includes 150 operable refineries in the U.S. (excluding Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands)These refineries have a total crude distillation capacity of 17.6 million barrels per calendar day (BPCD) and 18.6 million barrels per stream day (BPSD).

Although 95% of total refined petroleum product demand is produced domestically, approximately 65% of the crude oil refined in the U.S. is imported from other nations.

In 2008 the United States Geological Survey mapped the Bakken Reserve in South Dakota and Montana and confirmed that the domestic crude oil discovery there contained more than 5 billion barrels of recoverable crude oil - increasing by 25% domestic proven reserves. In addition, the Jack-2 discovery in the Gulf of Mexico, also in 2008, added another estimated 3 billion barrels. In the one year of 2008 domestic recoverable crude oil reserves increased by more than 33%.

U.S. oil and gas production, 3rd highest in the world, comes from over 850,000 wells across 33 states.  Nearly 300,000 workers are involved in oil and gas production activities.  Each individual well may contribute only a small amount of oil or gas, and the amount from each well inevitably declines over time.  Technology allows industry to extend the producing life of individual wells, making the most of our known resources. Improvements in technology allow the industry to find and economically recover a greater number of oil and gas deposits.  These undiscovered resources will contribute to U.S. supplies of oil and natural gas for several decades, allowing the industry to assure that consumers have the energy demanded for heat, light, motor fuels and the many other products.

The U.S. stores plentiful supplies of fuel in many locations, the largest being the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Today, there are over 640 million barrels of crude oil held in the Reserve. There will be an increase in the Reserve's level to 700 million barrels. At 1 million barrels per day, the Reserve can supply oil continuously for nearly a year and a half!  Connecticut's Oilheat customers can have confidence in knowing that there's more than enough oil. As of September 2001, over 120 million barrels of home heating oil have been stored in the U.S. According to the National Petroleum Council, this exceeds the amount Americans would need by 40 million barrels. And, there's even more good news for Connecticut residents thanks to the Northeast Heating Oil Reserve. The Northeast Heating Oil Reserve holds 2 million barrels, and is divided into sites in Connecticut, New Jersey and Rhode Island.