17 surprising stats about oil

Gas once cost 13 cents a gallon

The U.S. consumes 18.7 million barrels of oil per day.
(Image credit: David McNew/Getty Images)

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:

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Carmel Lobello is the business editor at TheWeek.com. Previously, she was an editor at DeathandTaxesMag.com.