Accessibility links
Planet Money Bought Some Oil The team at Planet Money set out to buy 100 barrels of crude oil right from the source, and then follow it from ground to gas tank.
Jason Bruns agreed to pump us some oil from one of his wells.
Special Series

Planet Money Bought Some Oil

What Happened When Planet Money Bought 100 Barrels Of Crude Oil

It's pretty easy to buy a tank of gasoline. It's not so easy to buy a tanker of crude oil — actual, physical oil. But getting into the oil business seemed like the best way to see how it really works. Jess Jiang/NPR hide caption

toggle caption
Jess Jiang/NPR

What Happened When Planet Money Bought 100 Barrels Of Crude Oil

It's pretty easy to buy a tank of gasoline. It's not so easy to buy a tanker of crude oil. Here's what happened when a team of radio reporters tried it.

'Planet Money' Team Heads To Kansas To Get Into The Oil Business

NPR's Planet Money team embarks on a quest to buy, transport and refine crude oil. We'll meet all the people who make our gasoline possible.

'Planet Money' Team Heads To Kansas To Get Into The Oil Business

Listen · 2:55
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/494538465/494538469" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

'Planet Money' Oil Makes The Trip From Tanker To Pipeline

NPR's "Planet Money" team has gotten its start in the oil business after buying 100 barrels of crude oil. We follow the oil as it makes its way to the refinery, where it will get turned into gasoline.

'Planet Money' Oil Makes The Trip From Tanker To Pipeline

Listen · 3:14
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/494684699/494684700" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Planet Money Watches Crude Oil Transform Into Gasoline At Refinery

After buying 100 barrels of crude oil and delivering it to a pipeline, NPR's Planet Money team goes to a refinery to see it turned into gasoline.

Planet Money Watches Crude Oil Transform Into Gasoline At Refinery

Listen · 2:57
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/494765488/494765489" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

In The Oil Business, Why Timing Is Everything

NPR's "Planet Money" team embarked on a quest to buy, transport and refine crude oil. The team learns that you have to be as savvy as possible because oil prices go up — and down.

In The Oil Business, Why Timing Is Everything

Listen · 2:37
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/494837239/494837240" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

How An Engineer's Desperate Experiment Created Fracking

The fracking boom in America kicked off almost by accident. An engineer worried about losing his job kept experimenting until he hit on a technique that changed the world.

How An Engineer's Desperate Experiment Created Fracking

Listen · 5:05
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/495671385/495671386" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Who Sets The Price Of Oil? Wall Street Speculators?

Members of our "Planet Money" team recently got into the oil business. They learned one of the most basic questions about the business is: who sets the price of oil? Speculators are often blamed.

Who Sets The Price Of Oil? Wall Street Speculators?

Listen · 3:57
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/495736356/495736357" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
Browse archive or search npr.org