http://www.eia.doe.gov/basics/petroleum_basics.html
The Energy Information Administration(EIA) is an independent statistical agency, within the U.S. Department of Energy, whose sole purpose is to provide reliable and unbiased energy information.
For further information, contact:
National Energy Information Center, NEIC
Energy Information Administration
1000 Independence Ave., SW
Washington, DC 20585
Telephone: 202.586.8800, 9:00am-5:00pm Eastern time.
E-mail: infoctr@eia.doe.gov---normal response is 3 business days.
Other consumer-oriented brochures can be accessed on the Web at:
http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/reports/reportsA.asp?type=other
Home > Publications & Reports > EIA Brochures > Where Does My Gasoline Come From?
Energy Information Administration Brochures
Brochure #: DOE/EIA-X059
Release Date: April 2008
Next Release Date: April 2009
Click on image to down-load a printer-friendly version.
Where Does My Gasoline Come From?
The United States consumes about 21 million barrels (882 million gallons) of petroleum products each day, almost half in the form of gasoline used in over 210 million motor vehicles traveling over 7 billion miles per day.
Most gasoline is made from crude oil, formed from the remains of plants and animals that lived hundreds of millions of years ago. These remains were covered with layers of sediment over time. With extreme pressure and high temperatures over millions of years, these remains became the mix of liquid hydrocarbons (an organic chemical compound of hydrogen and carbon) that we call crude oil. Refineries break down these hydrocarbons into different products. These “refined products” include gasoline, diesel fuel, heating oil, jet fuel, liquefied petroleum gases, residual fuel oil, and many other products.
Products Made from a Barrel of Crude Oil, 2007
(Gallons)
Note: A 42-U.S. gallon barrel of crude oil yields between
44 and 45 gallons of petroleum products. These totals
are greater than 42 gallons due to processing gain.
Source: Energy Information Administration
The most basic refining process separates crude oil into its various components. Crude oil is heated and put into a distillation column where different hydrocarbon components are boiled off and recovered as they condense at different temperatures.
The molecular structure of the input is further changed in processes using heat and pressure as well as catalysts that increase the rate of reactions without being consumed themselves.
The characteristics of the gasoline produced depend on the type of crude oil that is used and the setup of the refinery where it is produced. Gasoline characteristics are also affected by other ingredients that may be blended into it, such as ethanol. Most of the fuel ethanol added to gasoline is made from corn grown in the United States. The gasoline performance must meet industry standards and environmental regulations that vary by location.
U.S. Petroleum Net Import Sources, 2007
(Percentage)
Source: Energy Information Administration.
In 2007 U.S. refineries produced 90 percent of the gasoline used in the United States. Although the United States is the world’s third largest crude oil producer, less than 35 percent of the crude oil used by U.S. refineries was produced in the United States. Net petroleum imports (imports minus exports) accounted for 58 percent of our total petroleum consumption. About 48 percent of our net petroleum imports were from countries in the Western Hemisphere, 18 percent from the Persian Gulf, 22 percent from Africa, and 12 percent from other regions.
The Energy Information Administration(EIA) is an independent statistical agency, within the U.S. Department of Energy, whose sole purpose is to provide reliable and unbiased energy information.
For further information, contact:
National Energy Information Center, NEIC
Energy Information Administration
1000 Independence Ave., SW
Washington, DC 20585
Telephone: 202.586.8800, 9:00am-5:00pm Eastern time.
E-mail: infoctr@eia.doe.gov---normal response is 3 business days.
Other consumer-oriented brochures can be accessed on the Web at:
http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/reports/reportsA.asp?type=other
Home > Publications & Reports > EIA Brochures > Where Does My Gasoline Come From?
Energy Information Administration Brochures
Brochure #: DOE/EIA-X059
Release Date: April 2008
Next Release Date: April 2009
Click on image to down-load a printer-friendly version.
Where Does My Gasoline Come From?
The United States consumes about 21 million barrels (882 million gallons) of petroleum products each day, almost half in the form of gasoline used in over 210 million motor vehicles traveling over 7 billion miles per day.
Most gasoline is made from crude oil, formed from the remains of plants and animals that lived hundreds of millions of years ago. These remains were covered with layers of sediment over time. With extreme pressure and high temperatures over millions of years, these remains became the mix of liquid hydrocarbons (an organic chemical compound of hydrogen and carbon) that we call crude oil. Refineries break down these hydrocarbons into different products. These “refined products” include gasoline, diesel fuel, heating oil, jet fuel, liquefied petroleum gases, residual fuel oil, and many other products.
Products Made from a Barrel of Crude Oil, 2007
(Gallons)
Note: A 42-U.S. gallon barrel of crude oil yields between
44 and 45 gallons of petroleum products. These totals
are greater than 42 gallons due to processing gain.
Source: Energy Information Administration
The most basic refining process separates crude oil into its various components. Crude oil is heated and put into a distillation column where different hydrocarbon components are boiled off and recovered as they condense at different temperatures.
The molecular structure of the input is further changed in processes using heat and pressure as well as catalysts that increase the rate of reactions without being consumed themselves.
The characteristics of the gasoline produced depend on the type of crude oil that is used and the setup of the refinery where it is produced. Gasoline characteristics are also affected by other ingredients that may be blended into it, such as ethanol. Most of the fuel ethanol added to gasoline is made from corn grown in the United States. The gasoline performance must meet industry standards and environmental regulations that vary by location.
U.S. Petroleum Net Import Sources, 2007
(Percentage)
Source: Energy Information Administration.
In 2007 U.S. refineries produced 90 percent of the gasoline used in the United States. Although the United States is the world’s third largest crude oil producer, less than 35 percent of the crude oil used by U.S. refineries was produced in the United States. Net petroleum imports (imports minus exports) accounted for 58 percent of our total petroleum consumption. About 48 percent of our net petroleum imports were from countries in the Western Hemisphere, 18 percent from the Persian Gulf, 22 percent from Africa, and 12 percent from other regions.