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Uses of crude oil

Crude oil is a complex mixture of . Hydrocarbons are that contain hydrogen and carbon only.

Uses of crude oil

Crude oil is an important source of:

  • for the industry

Fuels obtained from crude oil or are called . They include:

  • petrol, kerosene and diesel oil from crude oil
  • methane from natural gas

These fuels are - they are being used up faster than they are being formed.

A feedstock is a raw material used to provide reactants for an industrial reaction. A petrochemical is a substance made from crude oil using chemical reactions. For example, ethene is produced from crude oil. It is used as feedstock to make poly(ethene), a .

Almost all consumer goods require crude oil as part of the manufacturing process but crude oil is a . It forms extremely slowly over millions of years and is being used much faster than it can be replaced. It is important to balance the short-term benefits from fuels and materials crude oil produces with the need to conserve supplies for the future.