From Crude Oil to Petrol, Diesel and Jet Fuel: How Petroleum Refining Works
Crude oil taken from an underground reservoir is extraordinarily valuable, but it is not yet petrol, diesel or jet fuel. It is a complex mixture containing hundreds to thousands of different hydrocarbon compounds, together with sulfur-containing compounds, nitrogen compounds, salts, water, metals and other materials. A petroleum refinery transforms this complex raw material into useful products through carefully controlled physical and chemical processes. This is where organic chemistry, industrial chemistry, thermodynamics, chemical engineering and environmental science meet on an enormous scale. What Is a Petroleum Refinery? A petroleum refinery is an industrial facility designed to separate, convert, treat and blend crude-oil components into marketable products. These products can include: Petrol or gasoline Diesel fuel Aviation turbine fuel or jet fuel Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) Naphtha Kerosene Lubricants Fuel oils Bitumen/asphalt Petroleum coke Petrochemical feedstocks A ...