Where Does That Oil Go?
A look at what's inside a barrel of oil and what products come from it.
— -- So exactly what do oil companies do with that oil that comes from the ground?
A barrel of oil contains 42 gallons of crude. During the refining process, additives increase the "refined yield" of the barrel. In the end, about 44 gallons of various products are produced from each barrel.
Here is a breakdown of what that oil creates:
22.6 gallons of gasoline — enough to drive 622 miles in the average American car
6.7 gallons of diesel — enough to drive 41.7 miles in a tractor-trailer
5.5 gallons of jet fuel — not enough to fly a fully loaded 747 one mile. You'll get about 0.95 miles
2.4 gallons of "still gas," a mixture of gas produced in refineries
2.2 gallons of "marketable coke," a residue used in the production of aluminum anodes, furnace electrodes and liners and shaped graphite products
1.5 gallons of fuel oil, often used for heating or for fueling locomotives, ships and for power generation systems
1.2 gallons of liquefied gas, which is used in heating appliances and vehicles, and increasingly replacing chlorofluorocarbons as an aerosol propellant and a refrigerant
0.8 gallons of asphalt
0.4 gallons of lubricants, often placed in greases
0.7 gallons of other products
Real items made from the barrel:
4 pounds of charcoal briquettes
12 cylinders of propane
170 wax birthday candles
A quart of motor oil
Petrochemicals used in the productions of all kinds of pharmaceuticals, plastics, cosmetics and foodstuffs.