Jackson advocate. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1939-current, 1957-02-09
Urge Division Of
Caribbean Oil
From U.S. East
Coast To Europe

Washington, Feb. 4-(SpeciaD-
U. S. oil producers have appealed
to the Department of Interior to in
vestigate "the failure" of the gov
eminent approved Middle East En-
Urgency committee and other oil
importers "to divert Caribbean oil
from the U. S. East Coast to the
European emergency area"
Robert L. Wood, President of the
Independent Petroleum Association
of America, requested the action
in a letter to Interior Secretary
Fred Seaton.
apparently the only diversion
to the European shortage area has
been Middle East oil formerly i'm
ported into the United States"
Wood said. "This diversion was
quickly and fully replaced by do
nestle OIL 1t is reaonable to con-
clude that any diversion of Carib-
bean oil would likewise be quickly
and fully replaced by domestic oil"
Wood pointed out that U. S. oil
production has been raised to the
highest level in history during the
Suez crisis, and is scheduled to rise
even further in February.
The IPAA president also urged
the Interior department to initiate
through the National Petroleum
Council a study of domestic oil
transportation facilities. "The Suez
crisis has served to emphasize the
present inadequacy of these facili-
ties for national security purposes
or other emergencies, he said.
Wood pointed out that the tanker
route from the Caribbean area to
Europe is substantially shorter
than from the U. S. Gulf Coast"
and that Caribbean crude oil is
generally of the type most suitable
for European requirements for fuel
oil.
"Despite these considerations,
Caribbean imports of crude oil into
the East-Gulf Coasts continue to
increase" he said, adding that:
"The question is therefore pre-
sented as to whether both the ma
tional interest and that of the
European emergency would not be
better served by substituting the
shorter haul and more suitable
Caribbean oil for the crude oil and
products which is now being ship
ped from the United States"
He pointed out also that stocks
of the four principal petroleum
products on the East-Gulf Coasts
were 100000 barrels above the
levels of a year ago. "This indi-
Gates that refinery runs and yields
could be adjusted to also make ad-
ditional supplies available to Eu-
rope" he said.
New Data Sought
Wood urged Secretary Seaton to
request each oil importing COM
pany to file with the government
the following information:
q. How much additional pipe
line transportation from domestic
producing areas to tidewater has
each company provided since the
Suez crisis, expressed in barrels
daily.
"2. How much more pipeline ca
pacity to tidewater can each COM
PAW assure will be provided in
1857.
SO. To what extent has each
company adjusted refinery opera
tons in terms of refinery runs and
adjusted yields; and how much ad-
ditional oil has thereby been made
available to Europe.
"a. To what extent will each
company assure diversion to Eu-
rope of Caribbean oil now being
imported into the United States,
together with information on their
plans, if any, to replace such i'm
ports with domestic oil either
through increased production, with
drawals from storage or adjust
ments in refinery operations"
Wood said this information is