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What products are made from oil?

Petroleum fuels cars and warms houses, and it is used to make plastics that are then made into bicycles, toys and containers. Petroleum is even used in bubblegum and medicine. What would our world be like without petroleum?

Transportation needs require 66% of all available petroleum to fuel cars, buses, trucks, and jets.That means 34% of oil is used for items such as:

  • Ammonia
  • Packaging for cough syrup and shampoo
  • Asphalt for paving roads
  • Pain reliever coating to protect the stomach
  • Automobiles
  • Paint binder and solvent
  • Balls
  • Resealable bags and containers
  • Bicycles
  • Detergent containers
  • Bubblegum
  • Dishwashing liquids
  • Child safety gates
  • Deodorants
  • Coolers
  • Electricity
  • Crayons
  • Eyeglasses
  • Heart valves
  • Fertilizers
  • Heat for houses
  • Garden hoses
  • Heavy-duty plastic (toolbox)
  • Gas ranges
  • Helmets
  • Pesticides
  • Ink
  • Plastic plates
  • Plastic wrap
  • Portable radios, CD and MP3 players
  • Medicines
  • Lubricants for machinery large and small, such as bicycles or printing presses
  • Outlet covers
  • Propane grills
  • Propane for heat
  • Refrigerators
  • Protective coating on inside of juice boxes
  • Tires
  • Toys
  • Varnishes
  • Vinyl siding
  • Rugs


One barrel of crude oil makes approximately:

  • 20 gal / 75.70 L of finished motor gasoline
  • 9.2 gal / 34.8 L of distillate fuel oil, includes both home heating oil and diesel fuel
  • 4.1 gallon / 15.5 L s of kerosene-type jet fuel
  • 2.3 gal / 8.7 L of residual fuel oil, or heavy oils used as fuels in industry, marine transportation and for electricpower generation
  • 1.9 gal / 7.2 L of liquefied refinery gasses
  • 1.9 gal / 7.2 L of still gas
  • 1.8 gal / 6.8 L of coke
  • 1.3 gal / 4.9 L of asphalt and road oil
  • 1.2 gal / 4.5 L of petrochemical feedstocks
  • 0.5 gal / 1.9 L of lubricants
  • 0.2 gal / 0.76 L of kerosene
  • 0.3 gal / 1.1 L other

(Source: www.txoga.org/articles/308/1/WHAT-A-BARREL-OF-CRUDE-OIL-MAKES )

Want to learn more?

A Young Person’s Guide to Oil and Gas Institute of Petroleum
Uses text and illustrations to explain why oil and gas are important and how they are formed, transported, and then turned into products

Adventures in Energy American Petroleum Institute
Uses interactive sound, visual effects, and text to explain oil and natural gas transportation, the refining process and use in daily life

Energy Kids’ Page US Energy Information Administration
Provides text and graphic illustrations with information on various energy resources including how each resource is formed and used

Petroleum Products Information Sheet US Energy Information Administration
Provides details and statistics the petroleum used in three categories: fuel products, nonfuel, and petrochemical feedstocks