North American production of crude oil, driven by a rapid increase in output of "tight oil" from U.S. shale deposits like Bakken and Eagle Ford, is surging. In many, but not all areas, petroleum refiners are incorporating an increasing amount of this cost-advantaged feedstock into their crude-oil-processing slates to capitalize on its discounted price, which is partly a result of a lack of sufficient takeaway infrastructure and a ban on exporting crude oil from the U.S.
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