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How Was Oil Formed?
Oil was formed from the remains of animals and plants (diatoms) that lived millions of years ago in a marine (water) environment before the dinosaurs. Over millions of years, the remains of these animals and plants were covered by layers of sand and silt. Heat and pressure from these layers helped the remains turn into what we today call crude oil. The word "petroleum" means "rock oil" or "oil from the earth."
Products Made from a Barrel of Crude Oil
Did You Know Crude Oil Can Be Sweet or Sour?
Crude oil is called "sweet" when it contains only a small amount of sulfur and "sour" if it contains a lot of sulfur. Crude oil is also classified by the weight of its molecules. "Light" crude oil flows freely like water, while "heavy" crude oil is thick like tar.
After crude oil is removed from the ground, it is sent to a refinery by pipeline, ship, or barge. At a refinery,
different parts of the crude oil are separated into useable petroleum products. Crude oil is measured in
barrels (abbreviated "bbls").
A 42-U.S. gallon barrel of crude oil provides about 45 gallons of petroleum products.ย This gain from processing
the crude oil is similar to what happens to popcorn, which gets bigger after it is popped.
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More data »
Note: A 42-U.S. gallon barrel of crude oil yields about 45 gallons of petroleum products.
Also on Energy Explained
- Gasoline
- Diesel Fuel
- Heating Oil
FAQs
- Do we have enough oil worldwide to meet our future needs? — www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.cfm?id=38&t=6
- How dependent is the United States on foreign oil? — www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.cfm?id=32&t=6
- What are the products and uses of petroleum? — www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.cfm?id=41&t=6
- How much petroleum does the United States import? — www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.cfm?id=36&t=6
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Learn More
- How dependent are we on foreign oil? — www.eia.gov/energy_in_brief/foreign_oil_dependence.cfm
- World Oil Markets — www.eia.gov/energy_in_brief/world_oil_market.cfm
- This Week In Petroleum — www.eia.gov/oog/info/twip/twip.asp
- Related crude oil articles — www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/index.cfm?tg=crude%20oil
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Last Updated: September 24, 2012
Petroleum Statistics
(2011 data except where noted)
Supply |
| U.S. Petroleum Production (crude oil, NGPL, and other oils) |
7,841,000 barrels/day |
| U.S.
Crude Oil Production |
5,659,000 barrels/day |
| U.S.
Crude Oil Imports |
8,921,000 barrels/day |
| U.S.
Petroleum Product Imports |
2,438,000 barrels/day |
| U.S.
Net Petroleum Imports |
8,436,000 barrels/day |
| Dependence
on Net Petroleum Imports |
45% |
| Top
U.S. Crude Oil Supplier |
Canada — 2,207,000 barrels/day |
| Top
U.S. Total Petroleum Supplier |
Canada — 2,706,000 barrels/day |
| U.S.
Crude Oil Imports from OPEC |
4,195,000 barrels/day |
| U.S.
Petroleum Product Imports from OPEC |
339,000 barrels/day |
| State
Ranking of Crude Oil Production |
Texas — 1,146,000 barrels/day |
| Top
U.S. Producing Companies |
BP PLC — 237 million barrels (2009) |
| Top
U.S. Oil Fields by Production, Appendix B, Table B1 |
Prudhoe Bay, AK (2009) |
| Top
Oil Producing Country |
#1 — Russia (9,934,000 barrels/day) (2009) |
| Top
Oil Consuming Country |
#1 — United States (18,771,000 barrels/day) (2009) |
Consumption and Disposition |
| U.S.
Petroleum Consumption |
18,835,000 barrels/day |
| U.S.
Motor Gasoline Consumption |
8,736,000 barrels/day (377 million gallons/day) |
| Share of
U.S. Oil Consumption for Transportation |
71% (2011) |
| U.S.
Total Petroleum Exports |
2,924,000 barrels/day |
Prices |
| Crude
Oil Domestic First Price (wellhead price) |
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