Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News Editorials & Other Articles General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

CousinIT

(12,716 posts)
Sat May 9, 2026, 01:11 PM 23 hrs ago

"EIGHT WEEKS TO EMPTY SHELVES. SIXTY DAYS TO FAMINE." EVERYBODY INSULT THE OP!

Last edited Sat May 9, 2026, 09:03 PM - Edit history (1)

I didn’t write this but hey! PILE ON with the insults! Then I’ll know who to ignore.

https://substack.com/home/post/p-196912511

. . .

If you can hear me, your life depends on what is in this article. I am not being dramatic. I am not overstating this. I am telling you that the data says the United States of America will run out of usable oil by July 4, 2026. Europe will run out this month. The food system that feeds you runs on diesel. Diesel runs out first.

. . .

U.S. distillate inventories (diesel and jet fuel combined) are 11 percent below the five-year average and at the lowest levels since 2005. In Michigan, diesel hit $6.00 per gallon. In the Great Lakes region, it is above $6.00. In California, projections range from $6.00 to $8.90 per gallon depending on how long the crisis continues.

Diesel is not a luxury fuel. Diesel is the blood supply of the American economy. Seventy percent of all agricultural and food products in the United States are transported by truck. Every truck runs on diesel. Every tractor in every field runs on diesel. Every combine harvester runs on diesel. Every refrigerated trailer keeping food cold on its way to your grocery store runs on diesel. Every freight train pulling grain cars runs on diesel.

When diesel becomes scarce, trucks stop moving. When trucks stop moving, food does not get picked up from farms. It does not get delivered to processing plants. It does not get driven to distribution centers. It does not arrive at grocery stores.

This is not inflation. Inflation is when prices go up. This is when the shelves go empty because there is nothing to put on them. There is nothing to put on them because there is no fuel to move the food from where it grows to where you live.
93 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
"EIGHT WEEKS TO EMPTY SHELVES. SIXTY DAYS TO FAMINE." EVERYBODY INSULT THE OP! (Original Post) CousinIT 23 hrs ago OP
This writer isn't an authority on the subject. His opinion is no more valuable than any of us. hedda_foil 23 hrs ago #1
But but but...He's a "spiritual guy"! A HERETIC I AM 23 hrs ago #7
We import most of our oil from Canada and Mexico. honeylady 20 hrs ago #45
Mexico, Canada enid602 1 hr ago #89
There was an article posted a week or so stating that the last tanker of oil had reached LA. That gives US in2herbs 23 hrs ago #8
A bunch of pretty lame economic arguments here. Bluetus 21 hrs ago #41
Exactly. SergeStorms 17 min ago #93
Yes, the last tanker from the Middle East for California/West Coast DetroitLegalBeagle 18 hrs ago #58
This is the truth. Our inventories in the US are low Melon 22 hrs ago #21
We can always "frack" more oil, since it's still in the ground FakeNoose 22 hrs ago #26
I agree. Getting away from peak oil is good. But we aren't running out during this mess. Melon 21 hrs ago #31
Yes, "we" do have a huge incentive to convert our homes and businesses to sustainable energy sources. ShazzieB 20 hrs ago #42
No apologies needed. sheshe2 18 hrs ago #59
Thank you! ShazzieB 11 hrs ago #74
You are not alone. sheshe2 11 hrs ago #75
Supposedly, most of the oil we produce isn't usable in the U.S. kerry-is-my-prez 19 hrs ago #50
That's not entirely true. Melon 19 hrs ago #53
Neither is the 'Resident of the US. sheshe2 11 hrs ago #76
One doesn't have to be an "authority"... GiqueCee 21 hrs ago #35
This country does not rely exclusively on oil from the Persian Gulf. hedda_foil 18 hrs ago #61
As our Dear Leader is fond of saying... GiqueCee 17 hrs ago #63
Of course we won't be fine. Rapenfuhrer is about to start the next worldwide depression with his little excursion --. hedda_foil 16 hrs ago #64
Awww... GiqueCee 3 hrs ago #86
Not Exclusively Us A Huge Understatement ProfessorGAC 16 hrs ago #66
In early 2022, price if diesel reached $6 a gallon. Nobody starved. Kaleva 9 hrs ago #80
The trucker guy I watch says this also. Blue Full Moon 2 hrs ago #87
Maybe Maga will notice when there's a shortage of cheap beer Walleye 23 hrs ago #2
They would somehow blame Biden. Beartracks 21 hrs ago #28
Or Mountain Dew llmart 21 hrs ago #33
It is inflation. Metaphorical 23 hrs ago #3
This is sensationalism. bearsfootball516 23 hrs ago #4
This is why Jilly_in_VA 23 hrs ago #5
July 4th. Smack dab on Trump's celebration day. oasis 23 hrs ago #6
Revolutions are fought by those whose ribs are easily counted . BattleRow 21 hrs ago #40
Please remember back to 1999 if you will. Airplanes will fall out of the skies, elevators will fall, ATMs wont give $$$ Srkdqltr 22 hrs ago #9
Worth reading NBachers 22 hrs ago #10
Not so much. It's a fantasy. Melon 21 hrs ago #32
Should I panic? sarisataka 22 hrs ago #11
No. We produce oil. Qutzupalotl 22 hrs ago #14
IIRC, we export most of our oil. sakabatou 20 hrs ago #47
That's what the guy's write-up says. N/t CousinIT 16 hrs ago #68
I believe we are the number 1 oil producer sarisataka 18 hrs ago #60
Actually the US is the largest oil producer by far EX500rider 44 min ago #91
You can bet your sweet ass popsdenver 22 hrs ago #12
Cool story bro JoseBalow 22 hrs ago #13
I expect reinstatement of the oil export ban. roamer65 22 hrs ago #15
Why would gasoline be rationed if we have plenty of oil Melon 20 hrs ago #43
Buy canned goods now. swong19104 22 hrs ago #16
The US has been exporting more oil and petroleum products than it imports since August 2021. eppur_se_muova 22 hrs ago #17
And this is the reason I pooh-pooh all the hullabaloo slightlv 22 hrs ago #25
My alter ADHD will kick in. multigraincracker 22 hrs ago #18
Independence Day IronLionZion 22 hrs ago #19
Well, I don't think we're gonna all starve. But I am going to short the market.😀 ashredux 22 hrs ago #20
No, not everyone will starve... but their will be a LOT of hungry people... slightlv 22 hrs ago #27
25 Recs. flvegan 22 hrs ago #22
It's clickbait from an opinion blog IronLionZion 21 hrs ago #34
We should be thankful this wasn't passed off as LBN. NT mahatmakanejeeves 21 hrs ago #37
Thanks for the insult. CousinIT 15 hrs ago #69
52 demmiblue 21 hrs ago #39
One thing: The US produces oil itself and SELLs it to other countries dave99 22 hrs ago #23
Yes and we've had a strategy for the last 50 years (thanks to Henry Kissinger) FakeNoose 16 hrs ago #65
WP: "Iran war is crushing Asia's farmers, threatening global food supply" Gaugamela 22 hrs ago #24
This is false information. James48 21 hrs ago #29
I am a prepper but this is nonsense Keepthesoulalive 21 hrs ago #30
What about the fact that only 20% of the global moreland01 21 hrs ago #36
There is a difference between Europe and the U.S. Europe has electric trains. We do not. LiberalArkie 21 hrs ago #38
What is the overall point? We aren't running out of diesel either. Melon 20 hrs ago #44
Did you read the WHOLE article? GiqueCee 20 hrs ago #46
Yes. That guy is saying hot garbage. Thus my response. Melon 19 hrs ago #48
Maybe worse case but I would bet the farm that supply and inflation will have a major impact by July yaesu 19 hrs ago #49
Liberation Day bucolic_frolic 19 hrs ago #51
$7.00/gal + here in WA pfitz59 19 hrs ago #52
Well, one of the incentives for the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings to quickly end the war Wednesdays 15 hrs ago #72
I say bring it on Bluestocking 19 hrs ago #54
It seems like the comments here are mostly skeptical, but on Substack, they are mostly in agreement. ihaveaquestion 19 hrs ago #55
Oil tankers don't run on diesel. We don't "need" others oil either Melon 9 hrs ago #77
"For two months, the world coasted on oil that was already at sea. That floating inventory masked the full scale of what riversedge 19 hrs ago #56
California made a decision to source petroleum and products from overseas Melon 9 hrs ago #78
Yesterday I heard cattle herds haven't been this low since the 1950s FullySupportDems 19 hrs ago #57
Lots of angry reactions here on DU to this article Blaukraut 18 hrs ago #62
Yeah. They skimmed it, made assumptions, and then went right to pile-on attack mode. CousinIT 15 hrs ago #71
About 60% of the oil the US imports comes from Canada and Mexico Kaleva 9 hrs ago #81
Yeah....no Boo1 16 hrs ago #67
Hyperbolic Stuckinthebush 15 hrs ago #70
I recommend Mr Global on youtube D_Master81 14 hrs ago #73
There is plenty of diesel fuel Kaleva 9 hrs ago #79
This is simply not credible. Please don't give in to fearmongering and misinformation. Rainbow Droid 6 hrs ago #82
Thank you for the warning! Kid Berwyn 5 hrs ago #83
According to the US Energy Information Administration... jmowreader 5 hrs ago #84
Original source talks about California, not the nation Kaleva 5 hrs ago #85
What utter BS. The oil reserves are in the ground in Canada and US. Bev54 1 hr ago #88
Remember when that Geology professor told us masks don't lessen the spread of COVID-19? Soul_of_Wit 52 min ago #90
Why won't American oil companies either produce more or export less to meet the US demand. ChicagoTeamster 21 min ago #92

hedda_foil

(17,007 posts)
1. This writer isn't an authority on the subject. His opinion is no more valuable than any of us.
Sat May 9, 2026, 01:21 PM
23 hrs ago

A HERETIC I AM

(24,893 posts)
7. But but but...He's a "spiritual guy"!
Sat May 9, 2026, 01:39 PM
23 hrs ago
I was a professor, a social justice journalist, a consultant, and eventually a PhD fellow at Pondicherry University in India, where I studied Indian spirituality, cultural studies, and the writings of Tagore. I hold an Honorary Professorship at the School of Ancient Wisdom in India. My academic work in nursing education is used in more than fifty universities. I left academia in 2018 to focus full time on writing, art, and the work you are now reading.


That CLEARLY makes him a competent authority on the international oil distillates market and supply chain.

Doncha think?



https://substack.com/home/post/p-196952936


honeylady

(170 posts)
45. We import most of our oil from Canada and Mexico.
Sat May 9, 2026, 04:12 PM
20 hrs ago

Small percentage from Middle East. He makes it sound like we only get oil from the Middle East and we will soon starve to death.

I live in California and we are expecting $8.00 per gallon soon.

enid602

(9,745 posts)
89. Mexico, Canada
Sun May 10, 2026, 11:42 AM
1 hr ago

Mexico is expected to become a net importer of oil by 2030. Our relations with Canada have soured a bit with Canada as of late.

in2herbs

(4,508 posts)
8. There was an article posted a week or so stating that the last tanker of oil had reached LA. That gives US
Sat May 9, 2026, 01:42 PM
23 hrs ago

about 60 days, unless F45 dips into our reserves which can't be replenished because we're out of oil to replenish our reserves.

No oil, no transportation, no food, no feed for stock.

Bluetus

(3,043 posts)
41. A bunch of pretty lame economic arguments here.
Sat May 9, 2026, 03:40 PM
21 hrs ago

Let's talk some facts:

1) The US is a net exporter of oil, especially refined oil products.

2) Almost all of our oil stocks and all of our refining capacity is controlled by for-profit corporations

3) Much of this oil supply comes from land ostensibly owned by "the people", but politicians have auctioned it off to multinational Petro companies on the cheap.

4) These selfsame companies make the CHOICE to take OUR oil and sell it in global markets where they can make a higher profit.

In other words, the only "shortage" Americans have is the direct result of these private companies deciding to serve other countries with OUR oil. Likewise, they pollute OUR environment and send the refined output to other countries, leaving us with nothing but pollution.

This is a market-driven, profit-driven operation. There is plenty of supply here, but only if Americans are willing to pay top dollar for it.

If we want to say that this is a potential (and emerging) economic calamity globally, I wouldn't argue with that. But to say that we are going to "run out" of Diesel and have "empty shelves" is a totally ignorant position. That isn't how market economics work. If we are willing to pay $12/gal for Diesel, the shelves will have plenty of goods, but they will cost twice as much.

IOW, this is not about empty shelves as much as it is about hyper-inflation. Unfortunately, that ends up in the same place. The most affluent will get through it, but there will be plenty of suffering (and crime) as the less affluent fight to survive.

This is a potential dystopian hellscape ahead. I am not ready to predict that is a certainty, but I'd say it is likely to get much worse before it gets better.

SergeStorms

(20,791 posts)
93. Exactly.
Sun May 10, 2026, 12:34 PM
17 min ago

If push came to shove the U.S. petroleum industry would certainly stop exporting our oil to other countries and take reduced profits for the sake of America's security, right? Right? RIGHT? RIGHT!

Just kidding, Bluetus. Everything you say is true, but I do wonder if they'd bite the hand that feeds them. 🤔

DetroitLegalBeagle

(2,525 posts)
58. Yes, the last tanker from the Middle East for California/West Coast
Sat May 9, 2026, 05:55 PM
18 hrs ago

The West Coast is isolated from the larger pipeline network east of the Rockies. The only crude the west coast gets is via local production and tankers. Alaskan oil will still make its way from Valdez to West Coast ports so not all oil has been halted to the West Coast.

Melon

(1,626 posts)
21. This is the truth. Our inventories in the US are low
Sat May 9, 2026, 02:39 PM
22 hrs ago

Because we are exporting a lot more jet fuel. The US has turned up the blend at the refinery to send more to Europe. We are actually producing more minus the recently lost refineries in California. We also have oil.
The US will kit run out.
We’d stop exporting before that happened.
We have oil in the US.

This is just not correct.

FakeNoose

(42,243 posts)
26. We can always "frack" more oil, since it's still in the ground
Sat May 9, 2026, 02:50 PM
22 hrs ago

In that way we have a greater advantage over the European countries. But the incentive is finally imminent to convert our homes and businesses to electric, either solar or wind-generated power.

Melon

(1,626 posts)
31. I agree. Getting away from peak oil is good. But we aren't running out during this mess.
Sat May 9, 2026, 03:12 PM
21 hrs ago

Asia is having issues. South Korea is having a major issue. In that way it does affect California, because they were buying a lot from these areas of Asia. But US overall is in fairly good shape at the base oil level. We are exporting more products due to overseas shortages. Go to Bloomberg/ energy and monitor oil futures. That will give some understanding of how gasoline is moving. But it’s worse overseas.

ShazzieB

(22,823 posts)
42. Yes, "we" do have a huge incentive to convert our homes and businesses to sustainable energy sources.
Sat May 9, 2026, 04:00 PM
20 hrs ago

Last edited Sun May 10, 2026, 01:07 AM - Edit history (1)

But so many of us are powerless to do anything about that. For example, we live in a large apartment complex. Even though we tenants pay our own utility bills, we have no choice regarding where those commodities come from. These buildings will have solar panels installed on their roofs WHEN AND IF the company that owns the complex decides to make it happen. Since we're paying our own energy bills, they have no financial incentive to spend money on solar panels that could save US a lot of money, but they do have an incentive to keep raising our rent to the point where Mr. B and I can no longer afford to live here.

Meanwhile the state is offering incentives to homeowners if they convert to solar energy, and more and more people seem to be taking advantage of that, which is great. I see a lot of roofs with solar panels on them when I drive around rown, and I'm alway happy to see them, but it's frustrating to be shut to be shut out from those benefits while my rent amd utility bills continue to climb. It's just one more way corporations and the billionaires who control them exercise power over the less wealthy in the endless pursuit of increasing their profits.

Sorry for the rant. It turns out that the issue of converting to sustainable energy sources is more of a sore point for me than I realized until I started typing this post!

ShazzieB

(22,823 posts)
74. Thank you!
Sun May 10, 2026, 01:10 AM
11 hrs ago

I see that post got a few recs, too, which tells me multiple people agreed with it. It's great to know I'm not alone in this.

sheshe2

(98,288 posts)
75. You are not alone.
Sun May 10, 2026, 01:26 AM
11 hrs ago

We are either in this together or not at all. None of us can do it on our own.

You know that song...

Helplessly Hoping

They are one person
They are two loved ones
They are three together
They are four for each other


Melon

(1,626 posts)
53. That's not entirely true.
Sat May 9, 2026, 05:29 PM
19 hrs ago

If you are referring to light sweet crude, it’s very similar to the Middle East product. Our gulf coast refineries were originally built with Venezuela oil in mind and have additional facilities to process heavier, low grade oil. This doesn’t mean we can’t process light sweet crude in the them. You may lose some efficiency or the blend produces less products like heavy tars, diesel, etc. but we can run them. Countries like S. Korea are at a disadvantage because they can only run light sweet crude. Those are less expensive refineries and now they are short oil. The US is bringing in both heavy Canadian and Venezuela Oil. We also want those heavy oils because they are ~20% cheaper and they don’t have as many homes globally, plus we get more diesel and produce heavies for products like asphalt and roofing tar.

GiqueCee

(4,640 posts)
35. One doesn't have to be an "authority"...
Sat May 9, 2026, 03:17 PM
21 hrs ago

Last edited Sat May 9, 2026, 04:24 PM - Edit history (2)

... to know that 2+2=4. That the logical progression of events, triggered by a stupid man's vindictive nature, has put us all in serious jeopardy, as articulated by the writer, is supported by what we see happening before our very eyes.
Our oil reserves are already depleted, much of our domestically produced oil gets sold overseas, and oil-producing countries with whom we once did business won't give us the time of day now, thanks to Trump's belligerent behavior, and his treasonous collusion with Vladimir Putin to destroy America from within isn't helping matters.
The skyrocketing cost of diesel fuel is driving the prices of everything into the stratosphere, and you can damn sure betcha that wages aren't going to rise at a rate commensurate with the rising cost of living, so consumers holding the shitty end of the stick are starting to panic, as well they should.
If you envision a different scenario, we'd love to hear it, but the way things are going at the moment, I think this writer has nailed it, and we should all start preparing for the inevitable economic downturn that will follow. Wait. Cross out "downturn", and make that "cataclysmic disaster", and I think we might be closer to the mark.
Trump is so self-absorbed that he will never entertain any possible solution to this existential crisis that he thinks "isn't a good look for him". He cannot, and will not, let himself be seen as losing. That's a bridge too far for him, no matter what happens as a result of his intransigence.
Divine intervention might pull our asses out of the fire, but I ain't holding my breath for that one.
Have a nice day.

EDIT TO ADD: Mr. Shyrock's original article is much longer, and far more detailed than the synopsis offered here. It is also supported by a multitude of sources who ARE authorities. Given what we know is happening right in front of us, despite this worthless administration's fire hose of lies, it is foolhardy to dismiss the article out of hand. A great many variables are up in the air at any given moment, but preparing for the worst, just in case, is not being Chicken Little, it's being sensible in the face of the very real possibility of economic catastrophe, and it's all because of the worst impulses of a narcissistic sociopath. Failure to include that loose cannon in your calculations is a potentially fatal error in judgement.

hedda_foil

(17,007 posts)
61. This country does not rely exclusively on oil from the Persian Gulf.
Sat May 9, 2026, 06:35 PM
18 hrs ago

There will be enormous shortages and extremely high prices for all petroleum products, of course, but the country will not run out of oil to the extent the writer speculates.

GiqueCee

(4,640 posts)
63. As our Dear Leader is fond of saying...
Sat May 9, 2026, 07:00 PM
17 hrs ago

... I guess we'll wait and see...

And, of course, we'll always have the oil we stole from Venezuela. As I understand it, our oil reserves are assorted flavors of crude, so refining capacity will have to be ramped up like a squirrel on meth. Sure. We'll be fine. I hope.

hedda_foil

(17,007 posts)
64. Of course we won't be fine. Rapenfuhrer is about to start the next worldwide depression with his little excursion --.
Sat May 9, 2026, 08:06 PM
16 hrs ago

Just as soon as the stock market geniuses get the hint. Unless he's already set off World War III.

ProfessorGAC

(77,179 posts)
66. Not Exclusively Us A Huge Understatement
Sat May 9, 2026, 08:32 PM
16 hrs ago

Middle Eastern petroleum accounts for barely over 2% of consumption.
49 out of every 50 barrels used is from some other source, the large majority being domestic, Canadian, Mexican or Venezuelan.
The Hornuz situation is dire, but not so for the US. It's a mere inconvenience, compared to the rest of the world.

Metaphorical

(2,658 posts)
3. It is inflation.
Sat May 9, 2026, 01:26 PM
23 hrs ago

Most inflation is due to supply side shocks initially, then price gouging until warehouse storage costs becomes an issue. This was what happened with the pandemic, its what's about to happen now.

Milton Friedmans contention that inflation is due to increasing the money supply is mostly wrong, but moreover its too simplistic. The connection between money supply and inflation is weak, but every major increase in prices is directly correlated to exogenous shocks and supply chain disruptions.

bearsfootball516

(6,732 posts)
4. This is sensationalism.
Sat May 9, 2026, 01:30 PM
23 hrs ago

There's no doubt that the longer the war in Iran goes on, the more it impacts us.

But claiming that we'll be in famine 60 days from now is absurd.

Jilly_in_VA

(14,589 posts)
5. This is why
Sat May 9, 2026, 01:31 PM
23 hrs ago

I buy from a farm stand. Fresh and local food. Sure, it's more expensive, but worth it. And why I have a stockpile of dried beans and such. It will keep us going for awhile.

Srkdqltr

(9,899 posts)
9. Please remember back to 1999 if you will. Airplanes will fall out of the skies, elevators will fall, ATMs wont give $$$
Sat May 9, 2026, 01:57 PM
22 hrs ago

Remember?? None of that happened.
This time prices will go up no doubt.

Qutzupalotl

(15,850 posts)
14. No. We produce oil.
Sat May 9, 2026, 02:18 PM
22 hrs ago

We are one of the world’s top producers, in fact. I think the OP blogger is being hyperbolic .

sarisataka

(22,782 posts)
60. I believe we are the number 1 oil producer
Sat May 9, 2026, 06:21 PM
18 hrs ago

I was being sarcastic. Since we produce oil we are not going to run out of fuel. It may become expensive but the hyperbolic fear of the OP is ridiculous.

EX500rider

(12,722 posts)
91. Actually the US is the largest oil producer by far
Sun May 10, 2026, 12:08 PM
44 min ago
Top Oil Producing Countries (Approx. 2024-2026 Data)
United States: ~20.1–22.8 million bpd
Saudi Arabia: ~9.5–10.9 million bpd
Russia: ~9.8–10.8 million bpd
Canada: ~5.2–5.9 million bpd
China: ~4.2–5.3 million bpd
Iran: ~3.6–5.1 million bpd
Iraq: ~4.3–4.5 million bpd

popsdenver

(2,566 posts)
12. You can bet your sweet ass
Sat May 9, 2026, 02:16 PM
22 hrs ago

that the Republicans have a humongous reserve of Jet Fuel, so their fearless leader can continue his weekly trips on AFOne to his Golf resorts..........

roamer65

(37,970 posts)
15. I expect reinstatement of the oil export ban.
Sat May 9, 2026, 02:21 PM
22 hrs ago

Diesel will be very expensive but will be available. We are headed for 1970’s style “odd and even” gasoline rationing again.

eppur_se_muova

(42,387 posts)
17. The US has been exporting more oil and petroleum products than it imports since August 2021.
Sat May 9, 2026, 02:24 PM
22 hrs ago

Updated Mar 2, 2026
by the USAFacts team

In 2025, the US exported more crude oil and petroleum products than it imported.

Crude oil is a fossil fuel that can be refined into petroleum products such as jet fuel and gasoline. The US used to consistently import more petroleum and crude oil than it exported. But exports exceeded imports starting in October 2019. It’s been a net exporter in all but seven months since then.

In 2025, the US exported 35% more oil than it imported.

Of all petroleum exports, 37% was crude oil.

Of the petroleum and crude oil that the US imported in 2025, the majority was from Canada. The top five exporters to the US were:
Canada (57%)
Mexico (6%)
Saudi Arabia (4%)
Iraq (3%)
Brazil (3%)
The remaining 27% came from 63 other countries, territories, or other areas of special sovereignty.

https://usafacts.org/articles/is-the-us-a-bigger-oil-importer-or-exporter/ (links to datasets to explore)

slightlv

(7,916 posts)
25. And this is the reason I pooh-pooh all the hullabaloo
Sat May 9, 2026, 02:45 PM
22 hrs ago

about U.S. oil shortages. Yes, I DO believe we have them and they'll be more frequent - and be a large aspect to the corps gouging us even more than today. But I swear it's manufactured shortages. As long as these companies can sell and export their oil to other countries, rather than first taking care of the needs of the country, then there is no shortage... there is only greed. This time, I feel like a switch has flipped that hasn't been flipped before. I was around in the 70's and 80's. I remember rationing, the long lines, and the "out of gas" signs. But as panicked a time as that was, it didn't feel like today. Maybe it's the fact that trump has devastated everything all at once. Maybe its because the corporations and multi-millionaires just said, "what the heck" and went for broke on raising prices beyond all reason. But a sizeable number of people are really getting angry about all of it - some of whom would have been the ones to just say "coast along, it'll right itself at some point." These same people are getting squeezed just like the rest of us. Like everything greedy and avaricious, trump ate himself straight into the depths of hell with more people than he could have ever thought possible. Even now he can't believe it; won't admit it; refuses to see what's right in front of his eyes. That stupid "secure" ballroom and bunker is evidence to me that deep down he knows he's up the river without a paddle, and more and more people are going to be coming for him with all the guns the R's let them buy and amass for all these years.

If we can have a fair election, the R's have buried themselves for decades, just as in their prior "40 years" in the wilderness. When they screw themselves, they really screw themselves. And this generation, they have *really* screwed themselves. The only thing that will allow them breathing room is to stay on top of the political apparatus and cheat, cheat, cheat. THAT does worry me. Being voted out of office by a majority of voters? I have no doubt it'd happen IF the people still have the right to vote and IF that vote is counted properly.

The wheelers and dealers made sure this was a country dependent on oil and fossil fuels. Our whole mythology is based on that "rugged individualism" of the person getting into his gas-guzzler and going wherever the hell he wants to go. White, xtianist, male identity has been totally swathed in this for decades and decades. So these bros are realizing their "rugged individualism" isn't as tolerated in the world as it once was; they can't get laid; they can't even attract the women they'd not have given a nod towards in days passed. And NOW they can't get gas/oil for their huge tanks of a truck? Talk about blowing a gasket!

multigraincracker

(37,978 posts)
18. My alter ADHD will kick in.
Sat May 9, 2026, 02:36 PM
22 hrs ago

From part time hunter/gatherer to full time. The one million squirrels and my air rifle. When they run out, stray, wild pets. Hunger is a motivation to adapt.
If you are worried stock up on books on the subject.

slightlv

(7,916 posts)
27. No, not everyone will starve... but their will be a LOT of hungry people...
Sat May 9, 2026, 02:51 PM
22 hrs ago

and many, many more near starvation in this country. The very young, the working young, and we elders will die off first from lack of nutritious food. Look at us right now, as the fuel is still flowing... millions of us are hurting to the point of desperation. It's not a matter anymore of filling the tank or filling your belly. It truly is forgoing medicine for food. Stretching things such that one truly is dependent on credit to make it from one SSA check to the next. It's scary, it terrorizes you as you lay in bed trying to figure out how to make do with even less, and has people flirting with suicide just as all the suicide hotlines are defunded and disbanded. I'd lay odds that I'm not the only one desperately wishing to escape to another country that takes better care of its citizens, despite the other side of me that is enraged and swearing they won't take down my country.

IronLionZion

(51,527 posts)
34. It's clickbait from an opinion blog
Sat May 9, 2026, 03:15 PM
21 hrs ago

I would recommend DUers take a strategic pause before believing this kind of stuff.

CousinIT

(12,716 posts)
69. Thanks for the insult.
Sat May 9, 2026, 08:56 PM
15 hrs ago

Shorter: “the OP is stupid”

I suggest you block me. That’s what it’s there for.

Nobody is forcing anyone to read the article,, believe it, or even tolerate us “stupid people” on the site.

I rarely post stuff in LBN. Clock it.

FakeNoose

(42,243 posts)
65. Yes and we've had a strategy for the last 50 years (thanks to Henry Kissinger)
Sat May 9, 2026, 08:13 PM
16 hrs ago

Let the OPEC countries pump out and sell all their cheap oil first. When it's gone, the US will still have much more oil in the ground that we can pump out via fracking, and we'll be able to sell our oil for a much higher price. At that point we will own a monopoly, and formerly civilized countries will go to war over the last oil reserves.

Has anything changed since the mid-70's?

Gaugamela

(3,564 posts)
24. WP: "Iran war is crushing Asia's farmers, threatening global food supply"
Sat May 9, 2026, 02:44 PM
22 hrs ago

I don’t subscribe to WP, but for some reason this article isn’t paywalled. It was published this morning.

Prices of fuel and fertilizer are pushing farmers to make irreversible cuts as they enter key planting seasons.

The standoff between President Donald Trump and Iran that has brought shipping to a virtual halt in the Persian Gulf has set off supply chain shocks that are upending lives thousands of miles away in Asia, raising costs for farmers at the start of key planting seasons that will sharply reduce crop yields in the second half of the year and beyond, according to government officials, economists and farming groups.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2026/05/09/iran-farms-thailand-food/

The problem is compounded by what looks to be a severe El Niño event this year.

Yesterday on NPR’s The Marketplace, they were discussing why the stock market isn’t reacting to the closure of the Strait. The answer offered was that investors don’t know how to price the consequences of the closure. We’ve never seen this situation before. Even the oil embargo of the 70s doesn’t compare.

Trump is running an experiment in the effects of Peak Oil. I’ve seen several qualified commentators on podcasts and on MS NOW state that we’re heading into a crisis. How bad it will be is anyone’s guess, but I could see famine erupting in South Asia and other parts of the world. The U.S. will probably fair better but it won’t be fun. We could see fuel shortages and rationing and 1970s inflation. I’m retired and I worry the stock market will crash.

Of course, the mainstream media isn’t touching this.

James48

(5,252 posts)
29. This is false information.
Sat May 9, 2026, 03:09 PM
21 hrs ago

The USA will never “run out” of oil, because the higher the price becomes, the less demand will be.

Yes, it’s gonna be more expensive. But it’s not going to disappear in the USA. Prices could go up another dollar by July. But that’s going to be an economy buster they will slacken demand.

Keepthesoulalive

(2,388 posts)
30. I am a prepper but this is nonsense
Sat May 9, 2026, 03:11 PM
21 hrs ago

Mr . Global a gentleman who was in the oil business explains what is going on. What we have is mismanagement, idiots running the country. There will be shortages but the crisis is affordability, even if you have shelves that are fully stocked but people are stretched so thin they cannot afford to buy that is the greater problem. Everything is connected if they can’t buy meat cattle farms suffer and that is the big profit producer for grocery stores. Oh yeah diesel fuel costs are hurting the trucking industry.
If they can’t pass those costs on they go out of business. Cheers

moreland01

(875 posts)
36. What about the fact that only 20% of the global
Sat May 9, 2026, 03:25 PM
21 hrs ago

Oil supply goes thru the Strait?

And what about the claim that we're the largest oil producer in the world now and can support ourselves (at least that's what trump says)?

LiberalArkie

(19,907 posts)
38. There is a difference between Europe and the U.S. Europe has electric trains. We do not.
Sat May 9, 2026, 03:35 PM
21 hrs ago

Freight used to delivered by trains. We use diesel for trains, the developed countries usually do not.

Melon

(1,626 posts)
44. What is the overall point? We aren't running out of diesel either.
Sat May 9, 2026, 04:04 PM
20 hrs ago

We are exporting more distillate overseas to support Europe and Asia right now. Diesel is expensive. It’s not short.

yaesu

(9,441 posts)
49. Maybe worse case but I would bet the farm that supply and inflation will have a major impact by July
Sat May 9, 2026, 05:12 PM
19 hrs ago

and this won't be so hard to believe. Even if the epstein wall street insider war were to end today it will take months for supply to catch up.

bucolic_frolic

(55,699 posts)
51. Liberation Day
Sat May 9, 2026, 05:19 PM
19 hrs ago

Fasting 2 days a week. Distribution systems hindered like the pandemic but with less fuel.

He's not the only one saying it, many on YouTube post similar analyses.

Wednesdays

(23,047 posts)
72. Well, one of the incentives for the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings to quickly end the war
Sat May 9, 2026, 09:19 PM
15 hrs ago

...was that although Japan had run out of oil by 1945, they could still fuel their kamikaze planes with turpentine made from pine tar.

Bluestocking

(773 posts)
54. I say bring it on
Sat May 9, 2026, 05:33 PM
19 hrs ago

If that what it takes to wake up the MAGAts and have them finally turn on the Republicans and Trump. Enough already.

ihaveaquestion

(4,737 posts)
55. It seems like the comments here are mostly skeptical, but on Substack, they are mostly in agreement.
Sat May 9, 2026, 05:35 PM
19 hrs ago

I'm inclined to believe there will be major consequences when a tipping point is reached, whether that's in eight weeks or whenever. That seems to be the result of most things Drumpf has ever done and why should this be any different?

Some things I think about ...

Don't oil tankers also run on diesel? That seems like a problem for us if we need to get oil from anywhere other than our own oil fields via our own pipelines.

Will we be able to pay for foreign oil at all? I'm thinking the bidding for it will outpace our ability to pay, considering we're being bankrupted by this administration.

Will anyone want to sell us oil after we've screwed up things so badly for everyone else? Won't they want to keep it for themselves or sell it to someone else for way more money?

All things considered, I think none of this will be pretty and I'm just glad it's not winter yet.

Melon

(1,626 posts)
77. Oil tankers don't run on diesel. We don't "need" others oil either
Sun May 10, 2026, 03:00 AM
9 hrs ago

Ships run on bunker oil. Basically any shit distillates left over.
We can run entirely off our own oil if we need to.
We are a net exporter. Oil is a commodity, price rises with global markets, but we aren’t short.

riversedge

(81,459 posts)
56. "For two months, the world coasted on oil that was already at sea. That floating inventory masked the full scale of what
Sat May 9, 2026, 05:36 PM
19 hrs ago

I was just going to post this




https://markashryock.substack.com/p/eight-weeks-to-empty-shelves-sixty?r=3xnx7f&utm_medium=ios&triedRedirect=true

...............THE LAST TANKER

On May 3, 2026, a Hong Kong-flagged tanker called the New Corolla docked at the Port of Long Beach, California. It was carrying two million barrels of Iraqi crude oil loaded at the Port of Basra on February 24, four days before the United States and Israel launched Operation Epic Fury against Iran and the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed.

That tanker was the last one. The last oil shipment from the Middle East to reach American shores. It arrived, it unloaded, and now it is gone.

The buffer that kept fuel flowing for two months, tankers that were already at sea when the war started, is exhausted. Bryon Stock, director of the Chevron El Segundo refinery, one of the largest refineries on the West Coast, called it a “significant milestone that I’ve not seen or faced in my 27-year career.” His refinery normally receives 20 percent of its crude from the Arab Gulf. That supply is now zero. California imports roughly 60 percent of its crude. Roughly 20 percent of that came from the Middle East. Gone.

For two months, the world coasted on oil that was already at sea. That floating inventory masked the full scale of what was happening. It kept prices high but stable. It kept fuel flowing. It kept people thinking this was just another spike at the pump.

That illusion ended on May 3 in Long Beach.

We are no longer in a price crisis. We are entering a physical shortage. A point where fuel stops being available at any price because there is none left to sell...........................

Melon

(1,626 posts)
78. California made a decision to source petroleum and products from overseas
Sun May 10, 2026, 03:02 AM
9 hrs ago

That decision and the loss of its refinery’s is going to hurt in this scenario.

FullySupportDems

(478 posts)
57. Yesterday I heard cattle herds haven't been this low since the 1950s
Sat May 9, 2026, 05:50 PM
19 hrs ago

From a video by a prepper. She said if they started rebuilding the herds right now today, it would take until 2028 to return to normal levels. Time will tell. That won't affect everyone. She also warned about garlic, olive oil and of course coffee, because we import those. I hope she's wrong too

Blaukraut

(6,003 posts)
62. Lots of angry reactions here on DU to this article
Sat May 9, 2026, 06:51 PM
18 hrs ago

I suspect not everyone read the entire article. This goes beyond oil, and who has the most of it. We also import products from countries that rely on oil and other products delivered to them via the Strait of Hormuz. Fertilizer is one of those mentioned in the article. Not to forget LPG, LNG, helium, etc. We can't produce our way out of a shortage of everything connected to crude oil just by keeping what we extract.

CousinIT

(12,716 posts)
71. Yeah. They skimmed it, made assumptions, and then went right to pile-on attack mode.
Sat May 9, 2026, 09:00 PM
15 hrs ago

I see that a lot here.

I’m going on a blocking spree. I suggest the ganged-up attackers do the same and block me.

It’s the best feature on DU!

Kaleva

(40,417 posts)
81. About 60% of the oil the US imports comes from Canada and Mexico
Sun May 10, 2026, 03:17 AM
9 hrs ago

Less then 10% of the oil the US imports comes from the Middle East

Boo1

(441 posts)
67. Yeah....no
Sat May 9, 2026, 08:33 PM
16 hrs ago

There is 8 weeks of supplies today....8 weeks ago there were 8 weeks of supplies left ...in 8 weeks there will be 8 weeks left.



This article is either a massive misunderstanding of how things work or something intentionally fear mongering.


We aren't going to run out of fuel.

Stuckinthebush

(11,211 posts)
70. Hyperbolic
Sat May 9, 2026, 09:00 PM
15 hrs ago

But the fear is real and we should pay attention to the global effect of limited oil supplies

D_Master81

(2,664 posts)
73. I recommend Mr Global on youtube
Sat May 9, 2026, 10:30 PM
14 hrs ago

He’s someone that worked in the oil and gas industry and had been mostly critical of Trump on this war and what it’s doing. He said the way that “usable oil” is defined doesn’t mean we will be out of gas or even close.

Kaleva

(40,417 posts)
79. There is plenty of diesel fuel
Sun May 10, 2026, 03:09 AM
9 hrs ago

It’s expensive and may even become more expensive but there’s no shortage of it. Food costs will rise but there won’t be empty shelves.

Rainbow Droid

(724 posts)
82. This is simply not credible. Please don't give in to fearmongering and misinformation.
Sun May 10, 2026, 06:16 AM
6 hrs ago

This article is every bit as meritless as every other bit of clickbait nonsense out there. The author has zero credibility on the subject and any number of obviously dubious claims in the article can be easily debunked with 10 minutes of research. I'm not going to do it for you, the onus is not on me to prove that the earth is round when a spiritual guru claims to have proof that the world is flat. I could show this article to a friend that works in the oil industry for a complete debunking by an expert but I'd be far too embarrassed to do so because it's so obviously nonsense that his opinion of my intelligence would go down simply because I took it seriously enough to show it to him. It scares me how easily people buy into such blatant misinformation, even here at a place like DU where people ought to know better.

Stop watching shorts.

Stop watching clickbait.

Stop living in a "TRUMP PANICS AS HE MAKES CRITICAL MISTAKE" clickbait media bubble.

It's destroying your critical thinking skills at a time when critical thinking is more important than ever.

Kid Berwyn

(24,968 posts)
83. Thank you for the warning!
Sun May 10, 2026, 07:02 AM
5 hrs ago

Better to use the time we have to prepare for the worst when the worst ever is doing all the worst things he can imagine to us, our country, and planet.

jmowreader

(53,354 posts)
84. According to the US Energy Information Administration...
Sun May 10, 2026, 07:27 AM
5 hrs ago

the two biggest exporters of oil to the United States are Canada and Mexico. That oil enters the US by pipeline.

The next two are Saudi Arabia and Iraq, both of which are west of the Strait of Hormuz but who, combined, only account for at most nine percent of our total imports.

The fifth biggest exporter is Brazil, which accounts for 4 percent of our imports - and which is very, very far from Trump's unprovoked war.

Besides, didn't Trump invade Venezuela four months ago? It should be possible to replace the Persian Gulf oil with Venezuelan oil.

While I can see the price of fuel doubling from what it's already at by the time Trump gets bored with this war and

Kaleva

(40,417 posts)
85. Original source talks about California, not the nation
Sun May 10, 2026, 07:36 AM
5 hrs ago

“California’s vulnerability did not happen overnight. The roots of the problem stretch back more than a century “

https://www.ms.now/news/iran-hormuz-shutdown-california-oil-crisis

Article in OP quotes Bryon Stock, director of the Chevron El Segundo refinery. If you research it further, you’ll come to the article I provided a link to above and you’ll see it’s about the problems California is facing.

Soul_of_Wit

(134 posts)
90. Remember when that Geology professor told us masks don't lessen the spread of COVID-19?
Sun May 10, 2026, 12:00 PM
52 min ago

Pepperidge Farm remembers. The threat is an economic crisis. It is not famine. It sure as hell is not famine in two months. California is in worse shape than east of the Rockies but also has no imminent threat of famine. Poor people will have it the worst but also will not starve.

ChicagoTeamster

(1,205 posts)
92. Why won't American oil companies either produce more or export less to meet the US demand.
Sun May 10, 2026, 12:31 PM
21 min ago

Isn't the US was a net exporter?
More importantly, How much longer will Israel have fuel for their militaries and economies?
The United States is the primary supplier of JP-8 jet fuel for military aircraft.
Russia has been a top supplier of refined fuel products.

Hey MAGAts Israel isn't worried about running out of oil. Roughly 70% of crude comes from Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan, shipped through the Ceyhan pipeline in Turkey. Other suppliers include Gabon, Brazil, and Nigeria. They're not reliant on the Strait for fuel. But the US is a major oil producer and you're economy will run out of oil and gas because the US oil companies export contracts and there are other products that the US needs like fertilizers and other chemicals that come through the strait. There's also grain and other food products for Africa, and Asia also needs the fertilizers to grow food for export the world.

You think Donald Trump or Benjamin Netanyahu care about that?

Latest Discussions»General Discussion»"EIGHT WEEKS TO EMPTY SHE...