What is the efficiency of refining petroleum?

Petroleum to Plastics

• Ideally I am looking for a breakdown of petroleum (crude oil) usage in the U.S. in terms of its intermediates (refining gas, petrochemical feedstocks, heavy distillates, etc.) and also in terms of its end products (gasoline, diesel, lubricants, fine chemicals, polymers, etc). I have seen flow charts in other people's presentations that show this complete breakdown, but have not been able to locate them in reference materials on my own. If a complete breakdown is not possible, I am looking specifically for the percentage of petroleum that goes into polymer (or "plastics") production. I am only interested in information from credible sources such as: >> govnerment statistics >> academic journals >> trade publications from instutions like the American Petroleum Institute or American Plastics Council (Estimates from a single company or random personal webpages aren't acceptable) The data should be from the last 6 years.

• Answer:

  Hello again Pjaderhold, Thank you for accepting my findings as the official answer to your question. Best regards, Bobbie7 Petroleum Products Yielded from One Barrel of Crude, 2004 Product Gallons Finished Motor Gasoline 19.65 Distillate Fuel Oil 10.03 Kero-Type Jet Fuel 4.07 Residual Fuel Oil 1.72 Still Gas 1.85 Petroleum Coke 2.18 Liquefied Refinery Gas 1.68 Asphalt and Road Oil 1.34 Naptha for Feedstocks 0.67 Other Oils for Feedstocks 0.55 Lubricants 0.46 Special Naphthas 0.13 Kerosene 0.17 Miscellaneous Products 0.17 Finished Aviation Gasoline 0.04 Waxes 0.04 http://www.eia.doe.gov/neic/infosheets/crudeproduction.htm ======================================== Figure 77.8 http://www.ilo.org/encyclopedia/?doc&nd=857200177&nh=0 ======================================== http://www.petrochemistry.net/flowchart/flowchart.htm ======================================== "The manufacture of all plastics consumed approximately three percent of the total petroleum used in the US in 1997, and PS production comprised approximately .002 percent of that amount. Comparatively, 71 percent of total petroleum used in the US is used for gasoline, jet, and diesel fuel, and 26 percent for the production of asphalt, oils and lubricants." http://www.polystyrene.org/faqs/answers.html ======================================== Polystyrene Packaging Council January 2002 The manufacture of all plastics consumes a small amount of the total energy used in the U.S. 2.6% of all petroleum is used for the production of all Only .002% of all petroleum used in the U.S. involves the manufacture of polystyrene products. 80% of all petroleum is used for gasoline, jet and diesel fuel and home heating fuels 17.2% of all petroleum is used for the production of asphalt, road oils and lubricants plastics http://www.polystyrene.org/news/PSPC_flyer.pdf ========================================