Oil can be sweet or sour, heavy or light, thick or thin and it can even smell differently depending on where it is harvested. These differences in crude oil (aka petroleum) can effect the price of each barrel and can determine what it would be best used for.
Sweet oil (oil that has a low sulfer content) is most easily refined and is most often used for gasoline. When reading the names of the types of oil extracted from different areas around the world I simply think 'delicious.' It sounds like it should be coffee! (Brent Blend of the North Sea, Bonny Light of Nigeria, Basra light of Iraq, Arab light of Saudi Arabia, Saharan blend of Algeria - mmmmMMMmmm).
Anything made with petrochemicals uses oil(pretoleum) and this includes anything plastic, waxes, clothing, shoes, paint, rubber, resin, paper and even food and water can contain petrochemicals. In the medical world plastic is a must have for keeping tool sterile and keeping things contained.
According to the EIA there is actually an increase of about 6% for each barrel of crude oil. This means through the process of refineing the oil we actually get more return (they made the likeness to popping a bag of poppcorn). They also say that 6.8 gallons of every barrel go to 'other uses' not related to fuels. Nearly half of the barrel is used for gasoline, which is about 20 gallons. Deisl fuel accounts for approximately 10 gallons of the total barrel. If we reduce the amount of oil used for fuels we'd be better off by over a half!
I admit some things are nessasary to use crude oil for, but we have a chance to significantly reduce that use when considering how much is used for fuels. I love driving my cars, gas guzzlers that they are. But I cannot afford a hybrin, electric or biodeisl car. Heck, I cant even afford a newer more reliable car as it is. The govt needs to give out some hefty incentives if they are going to acheive the goals set forth by the energy policy act of 2005.
Sources
http://www.oilprices.org/types-of-crude-oil.html
http://www.priweb.org/ed/pgws/uses/plastic.html
http://www.elmhurst.edu/~chm/vchembook/325petrochem.html
http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/energy.cfm?page=oil_home-basics
ONE of the benefits of being vegan is that less petrochemicals are consumed with that diet compared to an animal sourced one. But that is a topic for another day :-)
ReplyDeleteHmmm. Food for thought?
ReplyDeleteWow! I had no idea oil had a taste to it, or that the taste changed depending on where it was harvested. You compiled a lot of really nice information, I would think reading about crude oil would be boring and confusing but it wasn't at all. Great job!
ReplyDeleteI agree with Azaria! WOW had no idea there was that much behind oil and so many variations... nice reporting.
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