THe U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported in 2004 that one barrel of crude oil, unrefined, measures 42 gallons. Of these 42 gallons, 46 percent of all crude oil barrels break down in refinement to automobile gasoline. In the U.S. and Canada alone, one person uses an average of 3 gallons of crude oil per day. Crude oil products are very important to every country's economy, as gasoline is a precious resource.
About 42 gallons of crude oil makes 44 gallons of petroleum products, everything from ink, crayons, dishwashing liquids, deodorant, eyeglasses, CDs and DVDs, tires, ammonia and heart valves. About one barrel of refined cruel oil makes 19 gallons of motor gasoline (for use in cars, trucks, motorcycles and lawn mowers) and 10 gallons of diesel or fuel used for internal combustion. Gasoline makes up an estimated 19 barrels of all refined crude oil usage.
At almost 10 barrels of refined crude oil, distillate fuel comes in second after gasoline. When refined, crude oil produces distillate fuel oil. These lighter fuel oils distill off during the refining process and turn into usage for space heating as well as on and off highway diesel engine fuel, such as railroad engine fuel or fuel for farm equipment. Electric power generation also requires distillate fuel oil.
The third largest product from crude oil is kerosene type jet fuel, which uses about four barrels. Aircrafts use kerosene jet fuel to fly in the air with gas-turbine engines. The appearance of jet fuel is like a light caramel color. Commercial planes commonly use Jet A or Jet A-1 kerosene jet fuel for their engines, but jet fuel also uses a large number of hydrocarbons.
Crude oil makes a lot of other products. It takes two barrels of refined crude oil to make residual fuel oil and petroleum coke. The rest of crude oil products are below two gallons and include the following: liquefied refinery gases, still gas, asphalt and road oil, petrochemical feed supplies, lubricants, kerosene, waxes and other aviation fuel besides kerosene type jet fuel.
