ALL OIL IS NOT CREATED EQUAL

Unlike men, all oil is not created equal. With the events happening in today’s world the importance of the Gulf as an energy producer has become more vital than ever to sustaining the U.S. economy. On page 14 of A Flicker in the Water I noted how important the Gulf is to energy production. Responsible for 1/6th of the energy production for the USA. Texas remains the largest state producer of oil but it’s in Louisiana where alot of that oil is refined before being put to use. Louisiana with its over 200 oil rigs ranging from shallow coastal areas to over 9,500 feet deep produce the type of oil seen in the illustration above.

The U.S. produces a clear type of oil termed (sweet) that is the easiest type to refine and used for machine engines. Making it the most valuable in demand type of oil. Cars, trucks, boats & all motorized machines use this type of oil. Other thicker types of oil termed heavy oil are more expensive to refine but also serve a purpose. They can be used for asphalt, & lubricants.

Iranian oil falls somewhere in between sweet or heavy. The Persian Gulf where most of the Iranian oil comes through is a shallow body of water it’s deepest water surprisingly is only 300 feet. Most of its water is 100 feet or less. At 96,00 square miles it is only 1 fifth of the size of the Gulf of America/Mexico. It does however host a wide variety of fish and bird species including 🐬 and whales 🐋.

And the ships which are now on the Persian Gulf’s seafloor will make great reefs sustaining fish for many years to come. In Destin they regularly sink ships as a means to provide sanctuary for sea life.

When the oil leaves Iran it travels through the Straights of Hormuz (which is only 35 miles wide) into the Gulf of Oman then into the Indian Ocean.

The Gulf of Oman is also much smaller than the Gulf of America/Mexico but unlike the Persian Gulf the Gulf Oman is an impressive 12,500 feet deep at its deepest drop.

The Gulf of Oman however because of run-off and little to no levels of oxygen and high salinity in her waters is inhospitable to fish and other wildlife.

Besides its deep water. The northern portion of the Gulf of America/Mexico shares something in common with the Gulf of Oman. The Gulf of America/Mexico also has a low oxygen zone called the dead zone because of fertilizer & other runoff which dumps water from the Mississippi river into the Gulf.

If you would like to know more about this and other amazing phenomena my website is https://flickerinthewater.com

Thanks Bob