Oil and petroleum products explainedRefining crude oil
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What is a refinery?
Petroleum refineries convert crude oil and other liquids into many petroleum products that people use every day. Most refineries focus on producing transportation fuels. On average, U.S. refineries produce, from a 42-gallon barrel of crude oil:
- About 19 to 20 gallons ofmotor gasoline
- 11 to 13 gallons ofdistillate fuel, most of which is sold asdiesel fuel
- 3 to 4 gallons of jet fuel
More than a dozen other petroleum products are also produced in refineries, including liquids the petrochemical industry uses to make a variety of chemicals and plastics. The amount (volume) of individualproducts produced varies from month to month and year to year as refineries adjust production to meet market demand and to maximize profitability.
A refinery runs 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and requires a large number of employees. A refinery can occupy as much land as several hundred football fields.
A photo of the Pascagoula Refinery in Mississippi
Source: Stock photography (copyrighted)
Last updated: April 10, 2024, with data from thePetroleum Supply Monthly, March 2024; preliminary data.
Also inOil and petroleum products explained
- Oil and petroleum products
- Refining crude oil
- Where our oil comes from
- Imports and exports
- Offshore oil and natural gas
- Use of oil
- Prices and outlook
- Oil and the environment
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