API Campaign Highlights Role of Oil Sands to Jobs, Economic Growth and Energy Security

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Dec 08, 2010, 05:13 ET

WASHINGTON, Dec. 8, 2010 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American Petroleum Institute said today it is stepping up its campaign to highlight the role of oil sands to American jobs, economic growth and energy security. The campaign will be part of API's coordinated nationwide program on oil and natural gas priority issues. The announcement was made by API's Cindy Schild, refining issues manager, and John Kerekes, central region director, who provided an overview of the issue to reporters.

"API is expanding its education outreach on the importance of oil sands to the energy mix critical to America's economic future," said Schild during a call with reporters. "Canada's reserves are second only to Saudi Arabia's and continuing to utilize this vast natural resource has enormous job creating and economic benefits."

"Canada is already our number one source of imported oil and too few appreciate the benefits oil sands are already providing to U.S. consumers and U.S. workers," she said.

Kerekes said that most of the people in the Midwest strongly support using this resource once they have access to all of the facts.

"There is a growing understanding that this resource is important to increasing energy supply and ensuring reliability, while reducing the risk of supply disruptions," he said. "Americans know the nation needs the energy, and they know the Midwest needs the jobs and economic growth. We must build the new infrastructure to transport this resource and to expand our ability to refine it."

More information on oil sands is available at www.api.org/aboutoilgas/oilsands/

API represents more than 400 oil and natural gas companies, leaders of a technology-driven industry that supplies most of America's energy, supports more than 9.2 million U.S. jobs, accounts for 7.5 percent of the U.S. economy, and, since 2000, has invested nearly $2 trillion in U.S. capital projects to advance all forms of energy, including alternatives, while reducing the industry's environmental footprint.

SOURCE American Petroleum Institute