Category: Petroleum

While most people associate petroleum with fuel, the process of refining crude oil actually produces a wide range of useful byproducts. Among these, we find the two products which are not used as fuel, but rather serve various important industrial and consumer purposes in their stable, non-combustible forms.

Globally, petroleum provides more than 90% of the energy consumed by the transport sector. This remarkable statistic underscores the vital role oil plays in modern society and compels a deeper look into the question: how do we use oil for energy in our daily lives?

In 2023, U.S. refineries produced about 45 gallons of products for every 42-gallon barrel of crude oil they processed, a phenomenon known as processing gain. This fact helps illustrate what does crude percentage mean, which is the quantifiable outcome of refining raw petroleum into marketable products.

Sour crude oil, by definition containing more than 0.5% sulfur by weight, is the primary type of oil identified as high in sulfur. This differs significantly from 'sweet' crude and presents unique challenges and costs for the refining industry due to its corrosive and polluting nature.