The six main uses of oil are as follows: transportation, industrial energy, heating and lighting, lubricants, use of by-products, and the petrochemical industry.

Transportation, defense, technology, industry, commerce, research and development, and many other facets of human activities are directly or indirectly linked to the use of oil or its byproducts.

What is oil used for?

It provides fuel for heating and lighting, lubricants for machinery, and raw materials for a range of manufacturing industries (US energy information administration, 2016).

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Main uses of oil

1- Transportation

Transportation can be of goods and products
The entire transportation system of the world depends on oil. Gasoline and diesel are the main energy sources for all types of modern transport vehicles.

2- Industrial power

Oil is the main source of industrial energy. Diesel and gasoline are used in gas turbines to produce electricity.

3- Heating and lighting

Heavier oils are used in central heating plants for stores, offices, and homes.

Oil is also used to produce electricity for industrial and domestic use. Lighter grades of oil, such as “kerosene,” are still used for domestic purposes.

4- Lubricants

Lubricants are very useful for all types of machines, especially for machines used in transportation and industries.

All types of lubricants and greases are produced from oil. Vehicles of all kinds and the wide range of sophisticated machinery in use in factories and offices depend on lubricants and would grind to a halt if they were not available.

5- Use of byproducts

Crude oil is a mixture of carbon, hydrogen, impurities, and a few other components.

The refining process separates various fractions of hydrocarbons and several by-products have been produced (Chand, 2016).

Other uses of oil

When most people think of oil, gasoline and diesel fuel come to mind.

They may even evoke images of jet fuel, but they rarely consider the other unexpected places that oil by-products appear in modern life.

Because crude oil contains a large number of different hydrocarbons, various refined products have found their way into multiple fields, from plastics to pharmaceuticals (Petroleum.co.uk, 2015).

Agriculture

One of the most important uses of oil is in the production of ammonia, which is used as a nitrogen source in agricultural fertilizers.

In the early 20th century, Fritz Haber invented a process that allowed for the industrial-scale production of ammonia.

Before that, ammonia for fertilizer came only from manure and other biological processes.

Plastic

Plastic is a staple of modern life. From computer monitors to polystyrene foam, plastics are integral aspects of many manufactured products.

Polystyrene, from which polystyrene foam is made, and polyvinyl chloride (PVC), both products of post-World War II industrialization.

Nylon, which can be found in stockings to mechanical gears and even in car engines, is the most successful petroleum plastic to date. Most plastics come from olefins, which include ethylene and propylene.

Tires

Tires are made of rubber. Until 1910, all rubber was produced from natural elastomers obtained from plants.

The need for synthetic rubber was relatively small until World War II, resulting in embargoes on natural rubber from South America and the need to produce synthetic rubber on a large scale. Rubber is primarily a butadiene product.

Pharmaceuticals

Mineral oil and petrolatum are by-products of oil used in many creams and topical pharmaceutical products.

Tar, which is used for psoriasis and dandruff, is also produced from oil.

Most drugs are complex organic molecules, which are based on smaller and simpler organic molecules. Most of these precursors are by-products of oil.

Colorants, detergents, and others

Petroleum distillates such as benzene, toluene, xylene, and others provide the raw material for products that include colorants, synthetic detergents, and fabrics.

Benzene and toluene are the starting materials used to manufacture polyurethanes, which are used in surfactants, oils, and even for varnishing wood.

Even sulfuric acid has its origin in the sulfur that is removed from petroleum.

Partial list of unexpected products made from or containing petroleum

• Ink.
• Upholstery.
• CDs.
• Vitamin capsule.
• Denture adhesive.
• Putty.
• Guitar strings.
• Heart valves.
• Anesthetics.
• Cortisone.
• Toilet seats.
• Colored pencils.
• Pillows.
• Artificial grass.
• Deodorant.
• Lipstick.
• Hair dye.
• Aspirin.

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Other facts about petroleum

Petroleum is a complex mixture of hydrocarbons that occur in the Earth in liquid, gaseous, or solid form.

The term is often limited to the liquid form, commonly called crude oil, but as a technical term, it also includes natural gas and the viscous or solid form known as bitumen, found in tar sands.

The liquid and gaseous phases of petroleum constitute the most important of the primary fossil fuels (Gordon I. Atwater, 2016).

A thick, flammable mixture, ranging from yellow to black, of gaseous, liquid, and solid hydrocarbons that occurs naturally beneath the Earth's surface.

It can be separated into fractions that include natural gas, gasoline, naphtha, kerosene, fuel oil, and lubricating oils, paraffin wax, and asphalt.

It is also used as a raw material for a wide variety of derived products (American Association of Petroleum Geologists, n.d.).

Petroleum was formed from the remains of ancient marine organisms, such as plants, algae, and bacteria.

Over millions of years of intense heat and pressure, these organic remains (fossils) transform into carbon-rich substances that we count as raw materials for fuel and a wide variety of products (National Geographic Society, n.d.).

Petroleum is, today, a major source of energy in the world. This is also due to its multiple usability in different fields of machine civilization.

Every aspect of human daily life is in some way influenced by the use of petroleum (Petroleum.co.uk, 2015).

Importance of Petroleum

Can we live without petroleum? Crude oil is undoubtedly the most important natural resource of industrialized countries, and it is easy to understand why.

Many of the elements and products we use today are derived from this non-renewable resource, also known as “black gold.” First and foremost, it is a source of energy, thanks to which we can use our vehicles and other means of transportation, as both gasoline and lubricants and antifreeze used to keep the engine in good condition are derived from it. In fact, our world would come to a near halt without petroleum. Factories would cease to operate, farm tractors would be idle. Many homes and offices are heated with oil, and without it, they would freeze in winter. Additionally, many products are made from it, such as agricultural fertilizers, plastic items and toys, some cosmetics, detergents, and nylon clothing. Even the waxes in chewing gum are made from petroleum!

Petroleum is an organic substance composed mainly of hydrocarbons extracted from within the Earth, hydrocarbons obtained from the fossilization of organic remains such as those of extinct dinosaurs. Petroleum is one of the most important substances and materials today, as a large part of the elements and products used today are made from it in some way. At the same time, despite being an organic substance, petroleum is a complex compound that is not consumable and can cause severe damage both to the health of living beings and to the planet.

The impact on the world economy

The global economy has developed thanks to oil as its vital blood for more than a hundred years. It is known that this is responsible for approximately 2.51% of the global GDP and represents one third of humanity's primary energy supply. Because oil is so important, the entire world is affected by what happens with this vital product.

One of the reasons why some national economies are facing a tough time is that they have to pay enormous oil bills. Much of what some countries earn from selling their products abroad is collected in the payment of the cost of imported oil.

Oil is energy and energy is wealth.

The historical use of cheaper and more concentrated energy sources, such as oil, is one of the most direct causes of economic growth and even more importantly, significantly improves human condition. In short, better energy sources increase productivity. This effect is enormous; low-cost and abundant energy helps lift nations out of poverty, while not ensuring its supply condemns them to collapse.

And oil is, in its highest expression, high-quality energy. It is liquid, which makes it easy to move and store. It is stable and releases a large amount of energy. It is also much, much cleaner than coal. If it weren't for the CO2 emissions it generates, oil and gas would be an almost perfect energy source. Despite this, oil is wealth for anyone who uses it.

Oil reserves are depleting.

This organic substance is obtained from hydrocarbons extracted from the earth's crust, which were formed due to the fossilization of dinosaurs. As we mentioned at the beginning, we are talking about a non-renewable natural resource, so in the future reserves may run out. Currently, the largest reserves are found in countries like Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Iraq, and experts assure that cheap and easily found oil has already been consumed, and finding it will become increasingly difficult, not to mention that the entire supply on earth could be exhausted in another 140 years.

It is considered one of the strongest pollutants known. This is because it can not only severely damage the health of living beings that come into contact with it (through the skin, respiratory system, etc.) but also because it can generate very serious complications in the environment, for example, when there are spills or contamination of natural resources such as rivers, land, etc.

This scenario requires that we become aware from home, use the energy we have available more intelligently, and find alternative and renewable sources. Taking action now can help save millions of lives in a few years; the solution depends on everyone.

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