California imported an average 447,063 barrels of crude oil by rail over the first nine months of last year, the latest data available from the California Supply Analysis Office has revealed, as reported by S&P Global Platts.
The jump, according to S&P Global Platts, was driven by increased overall exports from New Mexico, Wyoming, and Canada, California’s three oil-by-rail suppliers. The increase was most marked in Canadian crude imports: these jumped from 116,000 bpd at the start of 2018 to 275,000 bpd at the end of September. Oil-by-rail imports from New Mexico also rose considerably, from 80,000 last January to 207,000 bpd in September, while imports from Wyoming remained steady, the data showed.
California has made a name for itself as a poster state for renewable energy but state data suggests it is still a major consumer of crude oil, both by rail and by maritime transport. In September last year, data from the California Energy Commission revealed that California has not become less reliant on crude oil despite the shift towards renewable energy.