Petroleum consumption production patterns

Historically, the world s petroleum production pattern can be related to geologic, economic, and pohtical factors. In the past, many countries have had large excesses in production capacity, whereas in the 1990s, only countries in the Middle East, such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq, and the United Arab Emirates, have, in the short mn, enough excess capacity to expand production of conventional cmde petroleum in any significant manner. In the Middle East, production of petroleum is over five times the region s consumption (see Table 4). On a much smaller scale, Africa produces far more petroleum than it consumes (3.4 times). 

In 1973, global consumption of nickel was 660,000 tons and that of the United States 235,000 tons (Sevin 1980). End uses of nickel in the United States in 1973 were transportation (21%), chemicals (15%), electrical goods (13%), fabricated metal products (10%), petroleum (9%), construction (9%), machinery (7%), and household appliances (7% IARC 1976). A similar pattern was evident for 1985 (Table 6.3). In 1988, 40% of all nickel intermediate products consumed was in the production of steel 21% was in alloys, 17% in electroplating, and 12% in super alloys (USPHS 1993). The pattern for 1985 was similar (Table 6.3). In Canada, nickel is the fourth most important mineral commodity behind copper, zinc, and gold. In 1990, Canada produced 197,000 tons of nickel worth 2.02 billion dollars and was the second largest global producer of that metal (Chau and Kulikovsky-Cordeiro 1995). Most of the nickel used in the United States is imported from Canada and secondarily from Australia and New Caledonia (USPHS 1977). 

Production and consumption of commercially available fossil fuel, nuclear power, and hydroelectric power in the United States for the year 1992 is shown in Table 2 (12). Coal production is most significant followed by natural gas and petroleum. Electricity generation and utilization patterns are shown in Table 4. Coal is overwhelmingly the most significant energy source used to generate electricity. 

The estimated consumption of sulfuric acid in 1996 by the industrial sector in the United States is shown in Figure 35.1. In Canada, while fertilizer consumption is not as prominent, consumption of sulfuric acid follows a similar pattern to that in the United States fertilizers—68% mining—5.8% miscellaneous—10.6% inorganics—5.1% others, including petroleum refining and products, synthetic rubber and plastics, pulp mills and other paper products, and industrial organic chemicals—10.5% (CIS, 1997). Sulfuric acid consumption is very stable and should continue to be so. 

---