What are petroleum products, and what is petroleum used for?

Petroleum products include:

• Transportation fuels
• Fuel oils for heating and electricity generation
• Asphalt and road oil
• Feedstocks for making the chemicals, plastics, and synthetic materials that are in nearly everything we use 

In 2025, total U.S. petroleum consumption (about 7.5 billion barrels) was: 

• About 43% finished motor gasoline (includes fuel ethanol)
• 19% distillate fuel (heating oil and diesel fuel)
• 8% jet fuel
• 19% hydrocarbon gas liquids
• 11% Other types (including biofuels: biodiesel, renewable diesel, and other biofuels)
  
  

Other FAQs about Oil/Petroleum

• When was the last refinery built in the United States?
• Does EIA have data on the movement (transport) of crude oil, biofuels, petroleum products, and propane by rail?
• What do I pay for in a gallon of gasoline and diesel fuel?
• How much coal, natural gas, or petroleum is used to generate a kilowatthour of electricity?
• What is the outlook for home heating fuel prices this winter?
• Does EIA have data on U.S. oil refineries and their locations?
• Does EIA have information on U.S. natural gas and oil pipelines?
• How much oil is consumed in the United States?
• How much oil is used to make plastic?
• What types and amounts of energy are produced in each state?
• How much shale (tight) oil is produced in the United States?
• What is the difference between crude oil, petroleum products, and petroleum?
• What are petroleum products, and what is petroleum used for?
• How many gallons of gasoline and diesel fuel are made from one barrel of oil?
• Does EIA project energy production, consumption, or prices for individual states?
• What is U.S. electricity generation by energy source?
• Does EIA have data on the type or quality of crude oil?
• What countries are the top producers and consumers of oil?
• How much oil consumed by the United States comes from foreign countries?
• Does EIA have county-level energy production data?
• What other motor gasoline consumption data sources are available?
• Does EIA have information on unplanned outages of U.S. infrastructures?
• How much of the crude oil produced in the United States is consumed in the United States?
• Does the world have enough oil to meet our future needs?
• How much petroleum does the United States import and export?
• What is the difference in product supplied among EIA publications?
• How do we calculate product supplied?