The U.S. Energy Information Administration has published a map of the maritime chokepoints that controlled the flow of 63% of the world’s oil, about 56.5 million barrels per day, in 2013.
“Blocking a chokepoint, even temporarily, can lead to substantial increases in total energy costs and world energy prices, as disruptions to these routes can affect oil prices and add thousands of miles of transit in alternative routes,” the agency notes.
“Chokepoints also leave oil tankers vulnerable to theft from pirates, terrorist attacks, shipping accidents that can lead to disastrous oil spills, and political unrest in the form of wars or hostilities.”
