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30 comments on OPEC Meets as Oil Demand Turns the Corner

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martingugino on September 9, 2009 - 2:44am Permalink | Subthread | Comments top

Re: Chart 8 - Jet Fuel demand
I thought that the military used 2mb/day, mostly for jet fuel.
Is the military use of (jet) fuel included?
Your total is under 2mb/day, so i guess not... ?? ?

If so, your US oil demand, Chart 4, which is shown as down to 19, could be thought of as down to 21?

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The Dude on September 9, 2009 - 7:06am Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

The US military oil consumption | Energy Bulletin

According to the US Defense Energy Support Center Fact Book 2004, in Fiscal Year 2004, the US military fuel consumption increased to 144 million barrels. This is about 40 million barrels more than the average peacetime military usage.

By the way, 144 million barrels makes 395 000 barrels per day, almost as much as daily energy consumption of Greece.

The US military is the biggest purchaser of oil in the world.

“In fiscal 2005, DESC will buy about 128 million barrels of fuel at a cost of $8.5 billion, and Jet fuel constitutes nearly 70 percent of DoD's petroleum product purchases.” says American Forces Information Service News Article by G. J. Gilmore. [3]

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Morgan Downey on September 9, 2009 - 5:45pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

Military jet fuel demand is included in US jet fuel demand numbers in the charts. Military jet fuel consumption has not changed much over the past 2 years.

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oldfarmermac on September 10, 2009 - 12:23am Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

Regardless of the exact numbers these jets are still burning aa whopping amount of fuel that may not be available in time of war someday before the jets are retired.Or perhaps they might be retired early due to a lack of fuel.

Perhaps the fuel situation is a technology driver that is not getting much attention from the public but is heavily wieghted by senior military planners.Apparently just one super modern bomber can take the place of a whole air force (almost )when compared to WWII ERA planes.

Delivering a very big load of very powerful bombs very precisely on lots of different targets in a single sortie must translate into a very small bomber force being able to get the job done.

Where are you Porge?

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MoonWatcher on September 10, 2009 - 12:46am Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

The idea that one current bomber can replace a whole air force of WWII-era planes is profound hyperbole.

Granted, a modern bomber has much, much greater capabilities than a B-17, B-24, or B-29 from WWII.

However, you can't compare one modern bomber to many tens of thousands of Army Air Corps aircraft in WWII...the numbers are overwhelming.

The point is: The U.S. Military burns a huge amount of oil...especially since 9-11. This oil is not generating business revenue nor is it generating tax revenue. It does cost us tons of tax payer/U.S. debt money and is of dubious use to provide us 'national security'.

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30 comments on OPEC Meets as Oil Demand Turns the Corner

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