It Could Be Worse...

Jane Van Ryan
Posted January 8, 2010

Many parts of the United States are experiencing an Arctic blast today. North Dakota could hit 50 degrees below zero, eastern Nebraska is likely to see temperatures as low as 35 below, while the Midwest and the Mid-Atlantic states have received a fresh layer of snow ranging from a foot to a few inches. In the Deep South, citrus growers have been scrambling to protect their trees from overnight temperatures in the 20s.

Although this is probably cold comfort, it could be worse. Just before Christmas, the residents of Valdez, Alaska, received 6.5 feet of snow over a three-day period. At times it snowed up to four inches an hour. Earlier this week, Bruce Painter shared the above photograph with us, depicting operations at the Port of Valdez during the December storm.

Each day an average of 672,068 barrels of U.S. crude oil passes through Valdez on its way to the Lower 48 states where it's refined into products for transportation, heat, and thousands of consumer items. Although the weather can be challenging at times, the oil and natural gas industry does its best to deliver energy where it's needed, when it's needed, every single day.

Hat tip to Bruce Painter and Ruth Black of Alyeska and Richard Ranger of API.