What is crude oil?
Crude oil is liquid petroleum that is found underground. Depending on where it is found and the conditions under which it was formed, crude oil can vary widely in density, viscosity, and sulfur content. Crude oil is processed by oil producing companies to make refined products that we can use, such as gasoline, home heating oil, diesel fuel, aviation gasoline, jet fuels, and kerosene.
Crude oil is liquid petroleum that is found underground. Depending on where it is found and the conditions under which it was formed, crude oil can vary widely in density, viscosity, and sulfur content. Crude oil is processed by oil producing companies to produce refined products that we can use, such as gasoline, home heating oil, diesel fuel, aviation gasoline, jet fuels, and kerosene.
Most of the oil products in the United States are made out of crude oil – the rough, unprocessed form of oil. Gasoline, heating oil, petroleum and diesel fuel are all made from crude oil. Depending on the stage of processing, any one of these oils can get spilled into the environment. If the spill happens during the extraction process, crude oil is leaked. However, if the spill occurs after the crude oil has been refined, diesel fuel or petroleum is leaked. If the spill happens when a tanker’s fuel supply is punctured, gasoline – another refined crude oil product – would seep into the environment.
