The United States gets most of its oil from itself and from a handful of key trading partners, especially Canada.

Quick Scoop: Where does the US get oil?

  • The US is the world’s largest crude oil producer, with major production in Texas, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, and Alaska.
  • Roughly half or more of the crude oil run through US refineries comes from domestic production.
  • Most imports now come from friendly neighbors, especially Canada, not the Middle East.
  • Since 2021, the US has often exported more total petroleum (crude + refined products) than it imports, but it still imports specific types of crude that refineries need.

Main Sources: At a Glance

Here’s a simplified view of where the US gets oil today (domestic + imports focus on the big players).

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Source Role for US oil Recent share / volume
United States (domestic) Largest single source; US is top global crude producer. About 60% of crude run in refineries is from US fields in recent years, and US output is ~12 million barrels/day.
Canada By far the largest foreign supplier; heavy and medium crude that many US refineries are built for. Over 50% of US total petroleum imports and about 60% of crude imports in 2022; about 57% of US oil imports in 2025; roughly 1.7B barrels imported in 2024.
Mexico Second-tier but important neighbor, especially for certain crude grades. Roughly 6–10% of US petroleum imports in recent years; around 229M barrels imported in 2024.
Saudi Arabia Major OPEC supplier; historically larger, now reduced share. About 7% of US total petroleum imports in 2022; around 4–7% of imports by mid‑2020s.
Iraq OPEC supplier, smaller than Saudi but still relevant. Roughly 3–4% of US petroleum imports in recent data.
Brazil Key non‑OPEC South American supplier. About 3% of US petroleum imports in 2022–2025; around 102.7M barrels imported in 2024.
Other countries Dozens of smaller sources including Colombia, Venezuela (limited), Nigeria, the UK, Guyana, etc. Collectively a bit more than a quarter of import volume; 27% of imports in 2025 came from 60+ other places.

Why Import if the US Produces So Much?

Think of the US oil system as a giant kitchen:

The US “grows” a lot of its own ingredients, but still trades for specific flavors and textures its recipes (refineries) are designed to use.

Key reasons:

  1. Refinery design and crude “recipes”
    • Many US refineries, especially on the Gulf Coast, are engineered for heavier, sour crudes like those from Canada or parts of OPEC, not just the lighter shale oil produced domestically.
 * Importing the “right” type of crude keeps refineries efficient and costs lower for gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel.
  1. Geography and logistics
    • It can be cheaper to import oil from a nearby foreign port into an East or West Coast refinery than to ship US crude from distant fields because of pipeline layouts and shipping rules.
 * Canada and Mexico are especially convenient because of cross‑border pipelines and marine routes.
  1. Energy security and trade balance
    • The US imports some crude, refines it, and then exports refined fuels (diesel, gasoline, jet fuel) to other countries, turning crude into higher‑value products.
 * Since around 2021, total US petroleum exports have often exceeded imports, so the US is a net exporter overall while still importing certain crude grades.

Is the US Dependent on the Middle East?

This is a big point in forum debates and “latest news” takes:

  • Middle East OPEC suppliers (Saudi Arabia, Iraq, others in the Persian Gulf) now provide a much smaller share of US imports than in the 1970s–1990s.
  • In 2022, only about 12% of US petroleum imports came from Persian Gulf countries, with Saudi Arabia at about 7%.
  • By mid‑2020s data, Canada and Mexico together supply far more oil to the US than all Middle East exporters combined.

So in current terms, “where does the US get oil?” is mostly: the US itself and Canada, plus a mix of Mexico, a handful of OPEC countries, and several smaller suppliers.

Forum‑Style Angle & Trending Context

If you were reading a forum thread titled “where does the us get oil” right now, you’d likely see takes like:

  • One group saying: “We hardly rely on the Middle East anymore, it’s mostly domestic and Canadian oil.” (Which lines up with current data.)
  • Another group pointing out: “Imports still matter because refineries are tuned for specific crude types and trade flows; being a ‘net exporter’ doesn’t mean we stop importing entirely.”
  • Others debating policy: pipelines from Canada, bans/limits on certain countries, climate goals versus fossil‑fuel security, and how price spikes still hit even when the US produces a lot.

In news and politics through 2024–2026, this shows up whenever:

  • Gas prices spike and people ask why a big producer still sees high prices.
  • There’s a headline about cutting or restoring imports from a specific country (for example, sanctions on some producers, or shifts in Venezuelan or Middle Eastern imports).

TL;DR (Super Short)

  • Most US oil comes from US fields and Canada , with Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Brazil, and others making up smaller shares.
  • The US now often exports more total petroleum than it imports, but it still imports specific crude blends that its refineries are built to handle.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.