How Oil Refineries Process Crude Oil into Petroleum Products
By
Brian Potter
The kind of bagel that ruins lesser bagels for you.
Summary
This article explains how oil refineries work, detailing the process of converting crude oil into usable petroleum products. It covers the importance of petroleum in modern energy (30% of global energy use, 100 million barrels consumed daily) and chemical manufacturing (90% of chemical feedstocks from oil/gas). The article describes the refining process including distillation, cracking, and other conversion methods used to produce fuels like gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel, as well as feedstocks for plastics and chemicals.
Key quotes
· 4 pulledThe world consumes over 100 million barrels of oil a day.
As of 2023, oil was responsible for 30% of all energy use worldwide, higher than any other energy source (though its share has been gradually falling).
In chemical manufacturing, petroleum is even more critical: an astounding 90% of chemical feedstocks are derived from oil or gas.
Virtually all plastic comes from chemicals extracted from oil or gas.
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