In 1949, 2,114,129,000 42-gallon barrels of petroleum products were used in the United States. With over 4,000 gallons of petroleum flowing from U.S. Oil wells every second of the day, it is important that manufacturers of petroleum products have adequate storage facilities available both for crude and refined products. The photograph shows new, modern tanks being used by a leading U.S. petroleum refinery in the southwestern State of Texas for storage of natural gasoline, butans, and isobutane. The tanks at left, which are resting on the earth, are called "sphersids". August 07, 1950. (Photo by United States Information Service).