Why would oil companies import oil to Houston from a foreign port to then load on a US tanker to move it to another port?
They will simply continue to import the foreign oil to the different ports. I must be missing what point you are trying to make. What US port do you believe has a surplus of crude oil that could move it by US tankers to another US port?
I would think this might be more feasible when the XL is up and running.
The Keystone XL Gulf Coast Project would deliver an additional 700,000 BPD to the Gulf Coast. Later it will be upgraded to 830,000 BPD.
Gulf Coast Pipeline Project
http://www.transcanada.com/gulf-coast-pipeline-project.html
But the Gulf Coast already is importing 4.5~5 million bpd.
Gulf Coast (PADD 3) Imports by PADD of Processing of Crude Oil
http://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/hist/LeafHandler.ashx?n=PET&s=MCRIPP32&f=M
With this expansion they are still going to be importing ~4 million bpd. They don't have a surplus to ship crude to another US port.
About two weeks ago I read an article on how the east coast refineries would improve their profitibility if they could get tankers from the gulf with WTI, rather then getting their crude from the middle east. But due to the Jones Act could not even if they wanted to.
I’ve looked through all my sites but as of yet can’t find it. If I do I’ll pass it along.