What do we get from the barrel of oil?

From gasoline and diesel to food products and plastic tools, black gold goes through several stages, transforming from viscous and crude liquid into a diverse assortment of products. 

The Spanish magazine "My Negatios e Economia" says that the barrel of oil, which is one of the most important indicators to follow the performance of the global economy, is extracting from it many derivatives, such as gasoline, plastic and other types of gases used in the industrial field, and the production of many other chemical elements, to maintain the standard of living That we're used to today. 

The magazine adds that these purposes and products can be obtained by other means, but alternative methods are very expensive compared to oil. This material undergoes refining processes in which it is subjected to different temperatures, and placed under pressure to extract various derivatives. 

Oil refining The
first step to refining oil is to heat it in huge towers until it reaches a very high temperature, and this is called distillation, and ensures that heavy materials such as bitumen (bitumen) and lubricants remain at the bottom, while gasoline and light gases rise. 

There are several types of crude oil that differ according to their density and chemical components, depending on where they are extracted. The refineries are ready to adjust their operations according to the type of oil. 

Crude oil consists of a mixture of hydrocarbons that must undergo processing to separate its components and obtain new products, and this separation process is done through fractional distillation based on the heating and pressure processes. Each barrel of Brent crude contains 159 liters. 

According to the data of the Organization of Petroleum Producing and Exporting Countries (OPEC), 94.5 million barrels of oil are traded every day around the world, and about 50% of this crude is used to manufacture gasoline, diesel, and other derivatives, which are materials used to provide energy to more than 1.1 billion vehicles operating with derivatives Oil around the world. 

Gasoline and diesel
from each barrel of crude oil, a commercial fuel amount is extracted between 56.7 and 66.2 liters, and 46.1% of the contents of the crude oil barrel are converted to diesel, through the air distillation of the oil at a temperature between 200 and 380 degrees Celsius , This substance is heavier than kerosene, and diesel is used as heating fuel and in diesel engines.

Bitumen:
11.2% of the contents of a barrel of oil turn into bitumen, and it is used to produce asphalt, which is included in the process of covering surfaces to prevent leakage, and in various types of buildings and projects. 

The barrel is also extracted from 10.8% of gasoline, which is a mixture of unstable hydrocarbons whose quality is improved by adding other materials. This fuel is used in combustion engines. 

Naphtha material Naphtha material
represents 10% of the contents of the barrel, and it is extracted through direct distillation of crude oil at a temperature between 35 and 175 degrees C. 

Kerosene is
also extracted by 6.1%, which is fuel for cooking, lighting, refrigeration equipment and engines, and after undergoing a special refining process, it is also used in aircraft and turbine engines. 

Fuel oil The fuel oil is
extracted from the oil barrel by 3.1%, and it includes all heavy materials, and this is burned to provide energy to the boilers, power plants and ships. Gases are extracted by 1.8%, and they go towards domestic consumption in kitchens and heating, and they are also widely used in several industrial operations. 

Lubricants
0.5% extract the lubricants, and play an important role in preventing continuous friction between engine parts to keep them safe. 

There are other materials extracted from the oil barrel at a rate of 10.4%, and used to make plastic and chemical fertilizers, along with some food and medical materials, and in the textile industry. 

What is Brent barrel?
This type of oil is the most famous in Europe, and comes from the oil fields of this name that exist in the North Sea, and it was named after a kind of dark geese called Brent. 

These oil fields are located near the Shetland Islands of Scotland, and they produced up to 400 thousand barrels per day in the 1980s, but this production has now decreased to one thousand barrels per day. 

Despite the limited production of this type of oil, it is of great importance at the global level, because it is used as a standard for pricing the remaining types of oil that come from the Middle East and Africa.