Oil producing countries
Industries Overview
How does oil affect the environment?
Crude oil is used to make the petroleum products we use to fuel airplanes, cars, and trucks; to heat homes; and to make products such as medicines and plastics.
Although petroleum products make life easier, finding, producing, and moving crude oil may have negative effects on the environment.
Technological advances in exploration, production, and transportation of oil and enforcement of safety and environmental laws and regulations help to avoid and reduce these effects.
Oil spills & pollution
Most oil spills & pollution are the result of accidents at oil wells or on the pipelines, ships, trains, and trucks that move oil from wells to refineries.
Oil spills contaminate soil and water and may cause devastating explosions and fires.
The federal government and industry are developing standards, regulations, and procedures to reduce the potential for accidents and spills & pollution and to clean up spills & pollution when they occur.
