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; and feedstocks for making the chemicals, plastics, and synthetic materials that are in nearly everything we use. In 2017, of the approximately 7.3 billion barrels of total U.S. petroleum consumption, 47% was motor gasoline (includes ethanol), 20% was distillate fuel (heating oil and diesel fuel), and 8% was jet fuel.

Learn more:
What is the difference between crude oil, petroleum products, and petroleum?
Energy Explained: Oil: Crude oil and petroleum products
U.S. Petroleum Products Supplied

Last updated: April 6, 2018

Other FAQs about Oil/Petroleum

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