Petroleum refining

Petroleum refining separates crude oil into fractions and chemically converts them into fuels, lubricants, and petrochemical feedstocks.

Fractional distillation: A separation process that sorts a liquid mixture by differences in boiling points. Atmospheric and vacuum distillation divide crude oil into fractions with different boiling ranges.
Crude oil: A naturally occurring liquid mixture of hydrocarbons and other compounds found in geological formations. It is the variable feedstock whose composition determines refinery yields and processing needs.
Gasoline: A volatile liquid fuel used mainly in spark-ignition engines. Refineries produce gasoline by combining suitable blending components and additives.
Hydroskimming refinery: A refinery configuration centered on distillation, hydrotreating, and catalytic reforming, without major residue conversion. It contrasts with complex refineries that convert more heavy material into lighter products.
Refinery complexity: A measure of a refinery's processing capability, often summarized by the Nelson complexity index. More complex configurations can process heavier crude and produce more high-value products.
Fluid catalytic cracking: A refinery process that uses a circulating catalyst to break heavy hydrocarbons into lighter products. It converts heavy gas oil into gasoline, olefins, and other lighter products.
Hydrocarbon: A chemical compound composed only of hydrogen and carbon atoms. Most crude-oil molecules and refinery products belong to this broad chemical family.
Diesel fuel: A petroleum-derived fuel used primarily in compression-ignition engines. Distillate streams are treated and blended to meet diesel fuel specifications.
Coking: A thermal cracking process that converts heavy petroleum residues into lighter products and petroleum coke. It offers a route for upgrading residues distinct from catalytic cracking and hydrocracking.
Nelson complexity index: A metric comparing refinery investment and processing complexity with crude-distillation capacity. It quantifies differences between simple and conversion-intensive refinery configurations.

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