Yodrak
Well-known member
Yes, refining is complicated.
Many refineries, maybe all, generate electricity for their own use. Some generate more than they need themselves and sell the excess to their friendly neighborhood utility.
Yes, petroleum can be and is used to make other things besides gasoline. But there are limits to how much of what product can be made from a gallon of crude oil. Crude oil is not a single chemical compound that can all be turned into this or that or whatever is in demand today. One part of the refining process is to distill the oil into its various fractions, and from each of the various fractions one can make various products. For example, one fraction can be used to make gasoline an #2 fuel oil, but it cannot be used to make many other petroleum products.
Within each fraction there is some flexibilty to adjust the amount of each product that can be made from that fraction. For example, refineries can adjust the amount of #2 oil they make v the amount of gasoline they make. And they do adjust. Every fall they start making more #2 oil for the winter heating season and less gasoline, and every spring they start making more gasoline for the summer driving season and less #2 oil. But they can't decide to make all #2 oil or all gasoline. They are limited in what they can make by what's in the particular type of crude oil that the refinery was designed to process.
The heaviest fractions are pretty much useless for anything except to be burned as fuel. And, since refineries need heat and electricity, burn it is what they do with it to generate that heat and electricity. They burn some of the lightest fractions and byproduct gasses as well.
So, while this is a very interesting and worthwhile discussion, there is no one single answer to the question.
Many refineries, maybe all, generate electricity for their own use. Some generate more than they need themselves and sell the excess to their friendly neighborhood utility.
Yes, petroleum can be and is used to make other things besides gasoline. But there are limits to how much of what product can be made from a gallon of crude oil. Crude oil is not a single chemical compound that can all be turned into this or that or whatever is in demand today. One part of the refining process is to distill the oil into its various fractions, and from each of the various fractions one can make various products. For example, one fraction can be used to make gasoline an #2 fuel oil, but it cannot be used to make many other petroleum products.
Within each fraction there is some flexibilty to adjust the amount of each product that can be made from that fraction. For example, refineries can adjust the amount of #2 oil they make v the amount of gasoline they make. And they do adjust. Every fall they start making more #2 oil for the winter heating season and less gasoline, and every spring they start making more gasoline for the summer driving season and less #2 oil. But they can't decide to make all #2 oil or all gasoline. They are limited in what they can make by what's in the particular type of crude oil that the refinery was designed to process.
The heaviest fractions are pretty much useless for anything except to be burned as fuel. And, since refineries need heat and electricity, burn it is what they do with it to generate that heat and electricity. They burn some of the lightest fractions and byproduct gasses as well.
So, while this is a very interesting and worthwhile discussion, there is no one single answer to the question.
planet4ever said:... I think drees has the correct attitude here - it's complicated. ...
smkettner said:What really counts is how much electricity is supplied direct from the grid that would be otherwise be available to the EVs.
sproqitman said:Petroleum can be used to make other things besides gasoline.