What Products Do You Get Out of A Barrel of Crude Oil?

Every 42-gallon (159-liter) barrel of oil can be refined into

• 19.4 gallons (73 liters) of gas,
  
• 10.5 gallons (40 liters) of diesel, and
  
• 4.1 gallons (16 liters) of jet fuel, not to mention lots of other marketable stuff.

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Every 42-US-gallon barrel of crude provides a little more than 44 gallons of petroleum products. This is gained due to processing of crude. From one barrel we get (in gallons):

• 7.27 gallons (27.5 liters): Other products (feedstocks for petrochemical plants, asphalt, bitumen, tar, etc.)
• 1.72 gallons (6.5 liters): Liquefied Petroleum Gases (LPG)
• 3.82 gallons (14.5 liters): Jet Fuel
• 1.76 gallons (6.6 liters): Heavy Fuel Oil (Residual)
• 1.75 gallons (6.6 liters): Other Distillates (Heating Oil)
• 9.21 gallons (35 liters): Diesel
• 19.15 gallons (72.5 liters): Gasoline

From petrochemical feedstocks many everyday-life products are then obtained. Some examples are:

• fertilizers for agriculture
• plastic toys and gadgets (bags, computer cases, etc.)
• bubble gums
• car tires
• perfumes
• petroleum jelly
• ammonia
• washing liquids

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Petrochemicals

Petrochemicals are chemical products derived from petroleum. Two petrochemical classes are olefins including ethylene and propylene, and aromatics including benzene, toluene and  xylene isomers. Oil refineries produce olefins and aromatics by fluid catalytic cracking of petroleum fractions. Chemical plants produce olefins by steam cracking of natural gas liquids like ethane and propane. Aromatics are produced by catalytic reforming of naphtha. Olefins and aromatics are the building blocks for a wide range of materials such as solvents, detergents, and adhesives. Olefins are the basis for polymers and oligomers used in plastics, resins, fibers, elastomers, lubricants, and gels.

How Oil Was Formed

Oil was formed from the remains of animals and plants (diatoms) that lived millions of years ago in a marine (water) environment before the dinosaurs. Over millions of years, the remains of these animals and plants were covered by layers of sand and silt. Heat and pressure from these layers helped the remains turn into what we today call crude oil. The word "petroleum" means "rock oil" or "oil from the earth."

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Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Public Domain)
Crude oil is a smelly, yellow-to-black liquid and is usually found in underground areas called reservoirs. Scientists and engineers explore a chosen area by studying rock samples from the earth. Measurements are taken, and, if the site seems promising, drilling begins. Above the hole, a structure called a 'derrick' is built to house the tools and pipes going into the well. When finished, the drilled well will bring a steady flow of oil to the surface.

Plastics In Everyday Life

Plastics are used in almost every aspect of our lives. Beverage containers, toys, and furniture. Plastics make up more than 12 percent of the municipal solid waste stream, having increased sharply from 1960, when plastics amounted to just one percent of the waste stream.
The largest category of plastics are found in containers and packaging (e.g., soft drink bottles, lids, shampoo bottles), but they also are found in durable (e.g., appliances, furniture) and nondurable goods (e.g., diapers, trash bags, cups and utensils, medical devices). The recycling rate for different types of plastic varies greatly, resulting in an overall plastics recycling rate of only 7 percent, or 2.1 million tons in 2009. However, the recycling rate for some plastics is much higher, for example in 2009, 28 percent of PET bottles and jars and 29 percent of HDPE bottles were recycled.

Just the Facts

• 30 million tons of plastic waste were generated in 2009.
• In 2009, the United States generated 13 million tons of plastics as containers and packaging, almost 11 million tons as durable goods, such as appliances, and almost 7 million tons as nondurable goods, for example plates and cups.
• Only 7 percent of the total plastic waste generated in 2009 was recycled.
• In 2009, plastic  bags, sacks, and wraps were recycled at 9 percent.
• Plastics also are found in automobiles, but recycling of these materials is counted separately.

statistics referenced from the United States Environmental Protection Agency