Chapter 2.3, Problem 8AYU

You Explain It! Oil Reserves The U.S. Strategic Oil Reserve is a government-owned stockpile of crude oil. It was established after the oil embargo in the mid-1970s and is meant to serve as a national defense fuel reserve, as well as to offset reductions in commercial oil supplies that would threaten the U.S. economy. The graphic on the following page depicts oil reserves in 1977 and 2014.

1. a. How many times larger should the graphic for 2014 be than the 1977 graphic (to the nearest whole number)?
2. b. The United States imported approximately 7.7 million barrels of oil per day in 2014. At that rate, assuming no change in U.S. oil production, how long would the U.S. strategic oil reserve last if no oil were imported?

Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration