Proposed rulemaking promises increased rail safety for crude oil, other flammable materials

"...And now, today, we're building on that progress by proposing a rulemaking to improve the safe transportation of large quantities of flammable materials by rail, particularly crude oil and ethanol. The new, comprehensive rulemaking will open for public comment once published in the Federal Register at www.regulations.gov, and I urge you to read it and provide your feedback..."
Transportation crude oil

U.S. Rail Transportation of Crude Oil

"North America is experiencing a boom in crude oil supply, primarily due to growing production

in the Canadian oil sands and the recent expansion of shale oil production from the Bakken fields

in North Dakota and Montana as well as the Eagle Ford and Permian Basins in Texas. Taken

together, these new supplies are fundamentally changing the U.S. oil supply-demand balance. The

United States now meets 66% of its crude oil demand from production in North America,

displacing imports from overseas and positioning the United States to have excess oil and refined

products supplies in some regions..."

U.S. rail/crude transportation

U.S. Crude Oil and Natural Gas Proved Reserves

"U.S. crude oil and lease condensate proved reserves increased year-over-year by 4.5 billion barrels (15.4%) because of a large volume of extensions to existing fields (5.2 billion barrels) particularly in Texas and North Dakota.

• U.S. wet natural gas proved reserves decreased 26 trillion cubic feet (7.5%) in 2012. Low natural gas prices, reflected in a 34% decline in the 12-month, first-of-the-month, average spot price of natural gas at the Henry Hub between 2011 and 2012, led to large negative net revisions (-45.6 trillion cubic feet) to the reserves of existing fields that offset almost all gains from extensions of existing fields.
  Crude oil reserves

U.S. Crude Oil and Natural Gas Reserves

"In 2011, oil and gas exploration and production companies operating in the United States added almost 3.8 billion barrels of crude oil and lease condensate proved reserves, an increase of 15 percent, and the greatest volume increase since the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) began publishing proved reserves estimates in 1977.."
Crude oil and natural gas reserves