Consumption is estimated for the entire four-state area as 428 million 

 barrels per year, or 1,173,000 barrels per calendar day of refinery through- 

 put, or 1,276 thousand barrels per stream (operating day) (26, p. 7) . 



Demand in the South Atlantic region is equivalent to about five re- 

 fineries of 250,000 barrels each, and this should grow to about 7 by 1985 

 and 11 by 2000, independent of offshore drilling production. 



Prediction of the economic implications of resources discovered in the 

 South Atlantic region vary widely. Those predicted on lease sale 43 conser- 

 vatively predict export of crude to Gulf and Mid Atlantic refineries. 

 Others say that the economics of refining and petrochemical production are 

 in the process of change as is the total United States crude oil picture. 

 What is likely to occur is a major shift to imports, large refineries, and 

 large petrochemical complexes in the South Atlantic region, probably in a 

 number of locations, and initially near the four deep ports of Wilmington, 

 Charleston, Savannah and Jacksonville. By the time any offshore drilling 

 production occurs, it will probably merely replace imports, thus firming 

 up supply, and influencing refinery and petrochemical location in the gen- 

 eral areas where pipelines are brought ashore (26). 



A 7,000-acre site near Savannah (Jasper County) has been acquired by the 

 Chevron Oil Company, and speculation is that this site is to be used for a 

 refinery. Several of the ports in this region have zoning for heavy industry, 

 or have large industries in existence, among them Charleston, Savannah, George- 

 town, Wilmington and Jacksonville. 



Distribution networks in the form of gas pipelines do exist throughout 

 the four-state South Atlantic region, but oil (crude or product) pipelines 

 are not available. Thus, a large gas find could be accommodated within the 



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