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PADD Maps: What Are They And Why Are They Important?

By June 2, 2017August 23rd, 2021No Comments

During World War II, the United States diverted a good portion of the fuel supply for use in the war efforts. The government rationed the remaining fuel to the people left at home. To make this rationing easier to manage, they split the country into different districts, known as Petroleum Administration for Defense Districts (PADD). Today, the districts are not used for rationing gas. PADDs are used for amassing data about how fuel moves around the country, in both the wholesale and retail markets.

What are the PADDs?

Within the U.S., there are five Petroleum Administration for Defense Districts.

PADD 1 covers the east coast from Maine to Florida. Due to the number of people and extent of this District, it is further broken down into three sub districts.

PADD 1A covers New England, including Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont.
PADD 1B covers the Central Atlantic region including Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania.
PADD 1C covers the Lower Atlantic, including Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia.PADD 2 covers the Midwest. This district includes Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Nebraska, Michigan, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, and Wisconsin.

PADD 3 covers the Gulf Coast including Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico and Texas.

PADD 4 covers the Rocky Mountain region including Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Utah, and Wyoming.

PADD 5 includes the West Coast. Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington.

Two additional Districts (PADDs VI and VII) cover U.S. territories around the world.

What are the purposes of the PADDs these days?

While the defensive beginnings of the PADDs are no longer the primary reason for the districts, they do serve modern purposes. Today, the districts are used for data collection and analysis of the fuel distribution within the U.S.. The data collected in each district offers insight into the patterns of crude oil and petroleum product movements throughout the country.

Topics ranging from the impact of Gulf Coast hurricanes to the Keystone pipeline are easier to understand with this insightful data collection. For example, the PADD data shows that half the nation’s refineries are located in the Gulf Coast region. The East Coast uses over 5 million gallons of oil every day, over half of which comes from the Gulf Coast.

Fuel wholesalers and retailers need to understand how fuel moves within the country. This knowledge helps to understand the problems with supply and demand that occur occasionally. At Kendrick Oil, we are here to help you with any of your fuel needs. Give us a call at (806) 250-3991 if you have any questions about our products or services. You can also send us an email on Contact Us. If you want to read more about the company, take a look at our About Us page.

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