Several midstream companies have had to do something they didn't think imaginable five years ago: reverse the flow of pipes that typically accommodate U.S. supply. With U.S. crude supplies growing every day, Enterprise Products Partners (EPD +2.46%) is looking to start exporting the stuff. The company plans to transform two of its Gulf Coast facilities into oil export terminals.
While the plan is ambitious, there is one small hitch. Since 1979 the U.S. hasn't allowed the exportation of crude oil to countries not in a free trade agreement with it, and a special permit is required to even export to countries in free trade agreements with the U.S. In this video, Fool.com contributor Tyler Crowe looks at why this rule will pose problems for the U.S., and advocates that we address this export ban sooner rather than later.
