[Request] How long could a single oil tanker power NYC for?
I know very little about chemistry/refining/global energy. The straight of Hormuz situation has me wondering.
Hypothetical Details / Assumptions:
- largest tanker available for crude, full to the brim with the most energy-dense type of crude oil
- refined at the most efficient refinery into the most fuel (or fuels?) possible
- the most efficient crude-derived powered power plant (or plants?) available (even if not currently available in NYC)
- powering the city-proper (not metro area) on a fairly average NYC energy-use day
- assume all fuel is converted into electricity first (none of the original crude is used for gas burners/ water heaters/ heat ). If there is 'spare fuel' as a byproduct that cannot be converted to electricity, but could be used for these purposes, that can be added as a fun fact!
Are we talking hours, days, weeks?
Posted Mar 14, 2026, 3:12 AM UTC