ABSTRACT
Petroleum companies had begun to ship crude and refined products by coastal tankers around the turn of the century,20 but this commodity did not dominate coast wise and intercoastal bulk traffic until after the First World War. Several factors were responsible. On the supply side, the production of crude oil expanded prodigiously with the opening of new fields in Texas, California and other areas far removed from the principal markets. Demand also increased at a phenomenal rate due to the rapid growth of highway and motor vehicle transportation, and the growth in the use of fuel oil for home heating, industrial purposes, and ships’ bunkers. Finally, the develop ment of larger, safer and more economical ocean tankers made it feasible to link pro ducing areas in the south-western and western United States with major markets in the north-east.
