17 surprising stats about oil

Oil! That dark, viscous stuff that makes the world go round — or at the very least greases the great wheels of industry. Oil is so ingrained in the modern world — from fueling your trip to the supermarket to powering armies — that it's hard to wrap your mind around its enormous impact. Here, for some useful context, are some stats about the world's leading source of power:

200,000

Miles of oil pipelines the U.S. has within its borders. For comparison, the distance from New York to Los Angeles is about 2,778 miles, and there are 160,000 miles of highways in the National Highway System.

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42

Gallons per barrel of oil.

19

Gallons of motor gasoline derived from one barrel of crude oil. The remainder yields distillate and residual fuel oils, jet fuel, and other products.

19.64

Pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2) produced from burning a gallon of gasoline that does not contain ethanol.

8.95 million

Barrels of oil Saudi Arabia produced each day, on average, in 2012.

$4.11

The highest average retail price for a gallon of gasoline in the U.S., recorded on July 7, 2008.

13 cents

Lowest-ever price per gallon in the U.S., recorded during a pricing war in Missouri in 1951.

5,000

Years oil has been used by people. Its original use: Treating frostbite and gout.

2,500

Years ago that crude oil was first pumped from the ground in Sichuan, China.

90 million

The world's total daily demand for oil in barrels, on average so far in 2013 (including projections).

3.5 million

Africa's total daily demand for oil in barrels, on average so far in 2013.

30.4 million

The Americas' total daily demand for oil in barrels, on average so far in 2013.

18.7 million

Barrels of oil the U.S. consumes each day.

2.3 million

Barrels of oil Canada consumes each day.

$1.4 trillion

Oil baron J.D. Rockefeller’s adjusted net worth at the time of his death.

16 billion

Barrels of oil the Trans-Alaska Pipeline has shipped since it was built in 1977.

4.2 million

Barrels of oil the Deepwater Horizon oil spill leaked into the Gulf of Mexico in 2010.

Sources: The U.S. Energy Information Administration, InvestingAnswers, EDF Energy, the IEA's Oil Market Report, Feb 2013