U.S. reliance on imported liquid fuels expected to fall: EIA

The United States' reliance on imported liquid fuels is expected to fall in the long term, according to the Annual Energy Outlook 2011 report released Tuesday by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA).


Total consumption of liquid fuels in the United States, including both fossil fuels and biofuels, is forecasted to increase to 21.9 million barrels per day in 2035 from about 18.8 million barrels per day in 2009, said the report.


Although U.S. consumption of liquid fuels continues to grow, reliance on petroleum imports as a share of total liquids consumption is projected to decrease. The import share, which reached 60 percent in 2005 and 2006 before dropping to 51 percent in 2009, is forecasted to fall to 42 percent in 2035, said the EIA.


The EIA said that the decline of U.S. reliance on imported fuels was due to increased domestic production, including biofuels and greater fuel efficiency. Domestic shale gas resources will support increased natural gas production with moderate prices, with growing almost fourfold from 2009 to 2035 when it accounts for 47 percent of total U.S. production, up considerably from the 16-percent share in 2009.


"EIA's projections indicate strong growth in shale gas production, growing use of natural gas and renewables in electric power generation, and declining reliance on imported liquid fuels, " said EIA Administrator Richard Newell.
(Source:http://news.xinhuanet.com)