By: Diane Graham
When you think of a barrel of crude oil, what comes to mind? Typically, most people imagine gasoline. Aside from making sure cars run, they don’t usually need to think about crude oil very much. Unless you’re in the business I’m in. Those of us in the oil and gas industry know the possibilities of what you can make with a barrel of crude oil are more than what might come to mind, and they’re essential to our everyday lives.
According to Visual Capitalist, a barrel of crude oil can make enough gasoline to drive a car over 280 miles, diesel to drive a truck 40 miles, propane to fill 12 small cylinders for a home, asphalt to make over three liters of tar and about one quart of motor oil.
That’s not all. Anything that isn’t used in the crude oil process can be used for plastics, rubber and wax to make common items like shirts, cups and shampoo. It’s an incredibly lengthy list of what crude oil can become.
A barrel of crude oil isn’t only being used to make a number of different products, but it is also helping keep them affordable. Crude oil makes gasoline, which is actually one of the least expensive liquids to buy per barrel. A barrel of gasoline is only $125 compared to a barrel of lemon oil which is $29,584. Even if the prices at the pump feel like they’re going up, liquid gasoline is still affordable in comparison to other products.
We’re seeing how important gasoline is right now with the devastating effects of Hurricane Ida. When a natural disaster like Hurricane Ida hits, people often have to wait days or weeks for their power to be restored. Gasoline can keep a generator going, powering a house for about six hours with five gallons. It also fuels cars for people to evacuate. We are thinking and praying for everyone impacted by Hurricane Ida as we reflect upon the role crude oil will play in the recovery efforts.
At Stratford Engineering, we offer comprehensive industrial engineering services that help make the crude oil processes possible. Our staff can optimize the process and offer start-up support, as well as provide maintenance needs, spare parts and equipment fabrication and repair.
No matter what you’ve thought about crude oil in the past, magic is in a barrel of crude oil, and it would be impossible to power our world without it. We see it every day in our work at Stratford Engineering.