| Petroleum Products are easily recognized in the | | | | jet fuel to kerosene-type jet fuel. |
| gasoline we use to fuel our cars and the heating oil | | | | Kerosene-type jet fuel is sometimes blended into |
| we use to warm our homes. Lesser known uses of | | | | heating oil and diesel fuel during periods of extreme |
| petroleum-based components are plastics, medicines, | | | | cold weather. This is done to help alleviate viscosity |
| food items, and a host of other products. | | | | (thickness), handling and performance problems |
| There are three major categories for Pertoleum | | | | associated with cold weather. |
| Based Products: | | | | Electric utilities use residual fuel to generate electricity. |
| Fuels such as gasoline and diesel fuel | | | | Although this sector uses relatively little petroleum |
| Non-Fuel products such as solvents and lubricating oils | | | | compared with the transportation and industrial |
| Feedstocks such as naphtha | | | | sectors, the electric utility sector depends on |
| Petroleum products, especially motor gasoline, | | | | petroleum for about 3 percent of its total energy |
| distillate (diesel) fuel, and jet fuel, provide virtually all | | | | requirements. Residual fuel oil is also used as bunker |
| of the energy consumed in the transportation sector. | | | | fuel (fuel for ships), industrial boiler fuel, and heating |
| Transportation is the greatest single use of | | | | fuel in some commercial buildings. |
| petroleum, accounting for over 67 percent of all U.S. | | | | Kerosene is used for residential and commercial space |
| petroleum consumed in 2005. The industrial sector is | | | | heating. It is also used in water heaters, as a cooking |
| the second largest petroleum consuming sector and | | | | fuel, and in lamps. Kerosene falls within the light |
| accounts for about 24 percent of all petroleum | | | | distillate range of refinery output that includes some |
| consumption in the U.S. Residential/Commercial and | | | | diesel fuel, jet fuel, and other light fuel oils. |
| the electric utility sectors account for the remaining 9 | | | | Petroleum coke can be used as a relatively low-ash |
| percent of petroleum consumption. | | | | solid fuel for power plants and industrial use |
| Demand for petroleum products in the United States | | | | (marketable coke) if its sulfur content is low enough, |
| averaged 20.8 million barrels per day in 2005. This | | | | or used in nonfuel applications (catalyst coke), such |
| represents about 3 gallons of petroleum each day for | | | | as in refinery operations. |
| every person in the country. By comparison, | | | | Nonfuel use of petroleum is small compared with fuel |
| petroleum demand averaged about 2 gallons per | | | | use, but petroleum products account for about 89 |
| person per day in the early 1950's and nearly 3.6 | | | | percent of the Nation's total energy consumption for |
| gallons per person per day in 1978. | | | | nonfuel uses. There are many nonfuel uses for |
| Motor gasoline is chiefly used to fuel automobiles and | | | | petroleum, including various specialized products for |
| light trucks for highway use. Smaller quantities are | | | | use in the textile, metallurgical, electrical, and other |
| used for off- highway driving, boats, recreational | | | | industries. A partial list of nonfuel uses for petroleum |
| vehicles, and various farm and other equipment. | | | | includes: |
| Distillate fuel oil includes diesel oil, heating oils, and | | | | • Solvents such as those used in paints, lacquers, |
| industrial oils. It is used to power diesel engines in | | | | and printing inks |
| buses, trucks, trains, automobiles, and other | | | | • Lubricating oils and greases for automobile |
| machinery. It is also used to heat residential and | | | | engines and other machinery |
| commercial buildings and to fire industrial and electric | | | | • Petroleum (or paraffin) wax used in candy |
| utility boilers. Specifications differ for heating oils and | | | | making, packaging, candles, matches, and polishes |
| diesel fuels based primarily on the sulfur content of | | | | • Petrolatum (petroleum jelly) sometimes blended |
| each fuel. | | | | with paraffin wax in medical products and toiletries |
| Diesel fuel accounts for about three-fourths of | | | | • Asphalt used to pave roads and airfields, to |
| refinery first sales of distillate fuel oils. Most diesel fuel | | | | surface canals and reservoirs, and to make roofing |
| is used for transportation purposes: highway diesel | | | | materials and floor coverings |
| fuel represents more than half of distillate fuel sales. | | | | • Petroleum coke used as a raw material for |
| Residential heating, the next largest end-use | | | | many carbon and graphite products, including furnace |
| category, represents about 12 percent of annual | | | | electrodes and liners, and the anodes used in the |
| distillate use, but is concentrated in the winter | | | | production of aluminum. |
| months. | | | | • Petroleum Feedstocks used as chemical |
| Liquefied petroleum gases (LPG's) rank third in usage | | | | feedstock derived from petroleum principally for the |
| among petroleum products, behind motor gasoline | | | | manufacture of chemicals, synthetic rubber, and a |
| and distillate fuel oil. LPG's are used as inputs | | | | variety of plastics. |
| (feedstocks) for petrochemical production processes. | | | | Petroleum has been used as a feedstock in the |
| This is their major nonfuel use. LPG's are also used as | | | | production of petrochemicals since the 1920's. |
| fuel for domestic heating and cooking, farming | | | | Naphtha, one of the basic feedstocks, is a liquid |
| operations, and as an alternative to gasoline for use | | | | obtained from the refining of crude oil. Petrochemical |
| in internal combustion engines. | | | | feedstocks also include products recovered from |
| Most jet fuel is a kerosene-based fuel primarily used | | | | natural gas, and refinery gases (ethane, propane, and |
| in commercial airlines. It requires a higher temperature | | | | butane). Petrochemical feedstocks are converted to |
| to ignite and is safer for commercial use than | | | | basic chemical building blocks and intermediates, such |
| naphtha-based fuel. Naphtha jet fuel meets the | | | | as ethylene, propylene, normal- and iso-butylenes, |
| specifications required for certain military aircraft. It | | | | butadiene, and aromatics such as benzene, toluene, |
| has a lower freezing point than commercial fuel and a | | | | and xylene, which are in turn used to produce |
| lower flash (ignition) point. However, from October 1, | | | | plastics, synthetic rubber, synthetic fibers, drugs, and |
| 1993, through 1995, the U.S. military essentially | | | | detergents. |
| converted most of its jet fleet from naphtha-type | | | | |