Fuel Fix reports that “in a sign of the nation’s decreasing dependence on foreign crude oil, refiners on the Gulf Coast are getting more of their raw material by pipeline from U.S. fields and less by tanker from overseas.”  

“It’s forcing refiners to retool some facilities, since most on the Gulf Coast are designed to refine imported crude that typically is heavier and higher in sulfur content than the light, sweet product of the booming U.S. fields in Texas, North Dakota and elsewhere.”  

“But the refiners also often get their raw product cheaper. A decades-old ban on most crude exports keeps U.S. oil off international markets, so domestic supplies rise and prices stay relatively low.”