The US stores hundreds of millions of oil barrels in caves along the Texas-Louisiana coast

The US shipped nearly 4 billion barrels of oil abroad in 2024

More than half of the US’s oil is exported as the country produces mainly light, sweet crude but has many refineries that handle heavy, sour types.

Understanding why the US can't use its own crude oil and depends on global markets

Before advancements in fracking technology made lighter shale oil readily available, US refineries had been built and optimized for decades to process heavier oil from other countries with high profitability. Despite being able to refine lighter oil, US oil companies can operate with better margins by exporting it to other nations whose refineries are optimized for it and importing heavier oil, for which the US has the infrastructure.

The story of the first commercial US oil well and why crude oil is measured in barrels

The 1859 oil discovery in Titusville, Pennsylvania, sparked a boom in oil exploration and production to meet the demand for kerosene lamp fuel. Because the 42-gallon barrel was a readily available container already in use for shipping fish, butter, wine, and other goods, it was adopted by the Petroleum Producers Association in 1872 and by both the US Geological Survey and the US Bureau of Mines in 1882.

Oil prices have been volatile for decades

This explainer shows oil’s rollercoaster: OPEC-led embargoes in the 1970s, shale surges in the 2000s, and the US flip to becoming a net oil exporter in 2020.

As of 2024, the nation with the largest proven oil reserves is Venezuela

According to estimates derived from available geological and engineering data, the South American country possesses about 303 billion barrels of underground crude oil, followed by Saudi Arabia (267.2 billion) and Iran (208.6 billion). Many of the largest reserves are held by members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries.

Spare capacity is the amount of oil production that can be brought online within 30 days and sustained for at least 90 days

Specifically, a country’s “spare capacity” signifies the difference between its maximum sustainable oil production and its current output. OPEC member countries hold nearly all of the world’s spare oil production capacity. Historically speaking, Saudi Arabia has been the country with the largest spare capacity.

The US government reportedly hoards 1.4 billion pounds of cheese in caves

In limestone mines said to be hundreds of feet below the ground, officials have allegedly stored surplus cheese to keep the industry afloat amid ebbs and flows in demand.

Fracking provides access to fossil fuel reserves locked in underground rock

Using a pressurized fluid mixture that is over 90% water, cracks are created in shale about 2 miles deep to release trapped oil and natural gas. The process uses an average of 3 to 6 million gallons of water per well, which can strain local water supplies.

World War I brought attention to US reliance on mineral imports

Domestic stockpiles were inadequate for the extended trade disruptions caused by the four-year war. In response, the US Geological Survey increased its geological mapping to help search for important metals alongside new oil fields for fuel.

A visit to the Federal Helium Reserve, which once supplied up to 30% of US helium

The underground storage facility in Amarillo, Texas, was established by the Helium Act in 1925, when helium was viewed as a strategic resource whose export could enable other nations to use it for military airships. The Helium Privatization Act of 1996 instructed the Department of the Interior to begin selling off the facility and reserve, with the final sale occurring in 2024.

Lessons from the 1973 energy crisis still echo in today’s geopolitical battles over oil

The video from the Economist highlights how energy supply disruptions can be weaponized—just as in 1973, today’s gas cutoffs (Russia throttling supplies to Europe after their invasion of Ukraine) reveal the ongoing importance of strategic energy resilience.

Japan attacked Pearl Harbor largely because it was running out of oil

This video traces how US-led sanctions and Japan’s near-total dependence on imported oil pushed Japanese leaders toward a high-risk plan: seize Southeast Asian oil fields and neutralize the American Pacific Fleet, hoping Washington would negotiate rather than fight.

BP only makes up about 1% of global oil production after many missteps

BP’s market cap has never recovered from the dive it took following the 2010 Deep Water Horizon oil spill. This video details some of BP’s corporate missteps along the way.

Understanding the causes and environmental impacts of crude oil spills and leaks

Although some oil regularly leaks from the bottom of the oceans through the gradual erosion of sedimentary rock, major spills result from accidental ruptures of pipelines or damage to transportation vessels or rigs. Oil can break down the water-repelling ability of feathers, remove the insulation of fur, and poison food chains if ingested.

Large oil companies knew about the impact of carbon emissions since the ’70s

PBS Frontline’s The Power of Big Oil reveals how industry giants like Exxon and Shell were researching climate change in the 1970s but then funded denial campaigns—using internal science to sow public doubt for decades.

When the US hits the debt ceiling, the Treasury uses emergency measures to avoid default

After the US reached its debt ceiling in January 2023, the Treasury deployed "extraordinary measures" to keep paying obligations. This article explains the steps, how they work, and why they last only for a limited time. (Some readers may experience a paywall.)

Louisiana's 'Cancer Alley' has cancer rates 50% above the national average

Due to its proximity to Gulf oil production, an 85-mile stretch of highway linking Baton Rogue, Louisiana, and New Orleans is home to 25% of the country's petrochemical manufacturing. It's also one of the most polluted regions of the US, with cancer rates at 50% above average.

The 15 most beautiful caves in the United States

The United States is home to more than 45,000 caves, including many with National Parks designation, like Wind Cave (in South Dakota) and Carlsbad Caverns (in New Mexico). This list of the 15 best isn't just for spelunkers—all of these sites are available for more typical tourists, so long as they have a good pair of shoes.

The US dollar is the most widely circulated currency in the world, and is involved in nearly 90% of global transactions

The price of gas is a composite made up of several different factors, with the federal gas tax making up less than 20% of what drivers pay at the pump.

What’s up with the new Texas Stock Exchange?

The two biggest stock exchanges in the U.S. are both based in New York—the New York Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq. But a potential new “Texas Stock Exchange”—which would be based in, you guessed it, Texas—could change that. To find out more about the project, backed by enormous companies such as BlackRock and Citadel, watch this video.

A dashboard showing real-time electricity usage in the US

The United States demands for electricity are enormous, with hundreds of thousands of megawatt hours required to run households and businesses every hour. You can track the fluctuations of US electric use with this dashboard.

Sovereign wealth funds in the Middle East and Asia surged after the 2008 financial crisis

As the stock market plummeted in 2008, SWFs with cash on hand were able to snap up critically undervalued assets that eventually posted large profits. The Government of Singapore Investment Corp. and Abu Dhabi Investment Authority invested $14.4B in Citigroup, resulting in a $1.6B profit for the GSIC when it sold half of the holdings in 2009.

Stablecoins could give people in high-inflation economies access to stronger currencies

Specifically, stablecoins could provide a way to make sure these funds remain valuable during times of volatility. Some examples of people without access to the US dollar using stablecoins as a store of value have been observed in Venezuela.

There is a secretive bomb-proof bunker located under the White House

Built in 1942 during World War II, the Presidential Emergency Operations Center lies beneath the East Wing. Designed to protect the president during air raids—and later nuclear threats—it remains a top-secret command site used during crises like 9/11.

See a timeline of the tumultuous relationship between Cuba and the US since 1959

Only 90 miles separate Cuba from the US, yet Cold War hostility froze relations for decades. This timeline traces six decades of tension, from revolution and missile crisis to renewed hardline US policies reintroduced in 2025

The United States has had a tumultuous relationship with Cuba since its 1959 revolution, highlighted by a nuclear crisis and a decades-long trade embargo.

The National Guard serves both state governors and presidents

Roughly 430,000 trained military personnel act as a strategic reserve for the US military, deployed domestically during natural disasters or unrest as well as overseas. It consists of the Army National Guard and the Air National Guard, overseen at the federal level by the National Guard Bureau.

Louisiana's 'Cancer Alley' is infamous for having some of the highest industrial pollution, toxic air emissions, and cancer risks in the US.

While the first exchange-traded fund (a 'basket' of different assets that can be bought and sold on a stock exchange) in the US only launched in 1993, the global ETF market has grown to more than $10T in the short time since.

In 2025, four executives from large tech companies were given positions in the US Army Reserves—including Palantir Chief Technology Officer Shyam Sankar, which reinforced Palantir's ties with the US military and its role as a leading defense partner.

When a Paris department store hesitated to sell Estée Lauder's perfume, she 'accidentally' broke a bottle, causing the smell to spread throughout the store and shoppers to start asking to buy the scent.

Some renewable energy sources may weaken the resiliency of electric grids by removing outage buffers provided by coal- and natural gas-fired plants, which provide the system with more time to find a new power source if a plant goes down.

The power and influence of the American presidency have expanded significantly over time—far beyond what the founders envisioned.

The idea for the Federal Reserve was conceived in secret in 1910—with bankers donning duck hunt gear for disguise while traveling to a remote country club on Georgia's Jekyll Island

Waves off the coast of Nazaré, Portugal, can reach over 100 feet and are caused by the area's deep underwater canyon geography

Netflix profits when you're not watching, and its movies are designed that way—read a detail-rich critical essay exposing lesser-known Netflix takes

Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps is independent of Iran's regular army and is one of the most powerful and influential military-political organizations in the Middle East.

The American Society of Civil Engineers' infrastructure report card gave the US a C in 2025, its highest grade since the project launched in 1998.

See how Budweiser's famous Clydesdales spend their days at Warm Springs Ranch, where roughly 70 to 80 of the beer brand's giant horses can be found at any given time.

Dozens of S&P 500 stocks, including Coca-Cola and Walmart—known as the dividend aristocrats—have increased dividends every year for 25 years

An initial public offering or 'IPO' is the process of a private company becoming public by putting shares of the company on the stock market for purchase.

Scientists can determine Earth's past climate conditions by analyzing air trapped in microscopic bubbles within ice cores—columns of compressed snow layers that build up over hundreds of thousands of years.

Explore fun facts from the USPS, including unique post office buildings, a stamp that traveled past Pluto, and more.

Explore an interactive map of battles from the American Revolution, along with detailed summaries of each engagement

Scientists have struggled to pin down Ebola's natural reservoir species for decades, but the available evidence suggests that it's very likely fruit and insect-eating bats found in Africa.

Researchers believe the brain consolidates memories, processes emotions, and plans for the future during dream states

Telehealth demand for GLP-1s for weight loss is booming as consumers seek easier access.

Fireworks make a loud booming sound after exploding due to air expanding faster than the speed of sound.

Quincy Jones' 'Big Band Bossa Nova' helped introduce bossa nova—a jazz-influenced Brazilian genre—to the US