Oil Transportation and Major Chokepoints

The bulk of the oil transported (62%) is using maritime transportation. The Persian Gulf is a major origin and from this point maritime routes are reaching Europe through the Suez Canal, Japan through the Strait of Malacca and North American through the Cape of Good Hope. Major continental movements involve the Russian and former Soviet Republic's petroleum shipped to Western Europe by pipeline and Alaskan and Canadian petroleum shipped to the United States also by pipeline. Other important oil shipments are from Africa to North America and Europe, from the North Sea to Europe and from South America to North America.