24/03/2026
Crude oil has become a major topic in the last few weeks, therefore I though I should really get to know what a barrel of oil is and what is produced from it.
A standard oil barrel contains approximately 159 litres of crude oil. When refined, this single barrel yields a combined volume of about 170 litres of various petroleum products due to "processing gain" during the refining process.
The volume of specific fuels produced from one 159-litre barrel typically breaks down as follows:
• Petrol: ~73 litres (roughly 45–46% of the barrel).
• Diesel: ~40–48 litres (roughly 25–30% of the barrel).
• Jet Fuel (Kerosene-type): ~15–18 litres (roughly 9–11% of the barrel).
• Other Products: ~30 litres, including liquefied petroleum gases (LPG), heating oil, asphalt, and petrochemical feedstocks used for plastics and lubricants.
Key Factors in Production Yield
The exact amount of fuel produced can vary based on several factors:
• Crude Oil Type: "Sweet" (low-sulfur) and light crudes generally yield more petrol and jet fuel, while "sour" (high-sulfur) or heavy crudes yield more diesel and heavy fuel oils.
• Refinery Configuration: Modern, complex refineries using advanced processing like catalytic cracking can "squeeze" more high-value fuels like petrol out of a barrel compared to simpler distillation setups.
• Market Demand: Refineries can often adjust their processes to produce slightly more of one fuel over another to meet seasonal needs (e.g., more heating oil in winter or more petrol in summer).
Processing gain occurs because refined products often have a lower density than the original crude oil, causing them to occupy a larger total volume.
U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) (.gov)
